27,400,000,000 dollars. Money that can purchase over 10 thousand Tesla Model X’s, build over 1000 CN towers, or buy almost 400 million bananas! But, no. Last February, all that money was spent on cheap heart-shaped chocolates, short-lived red roses, and lovey-dovey romantic dinners. The blasphemous “day of love” is absolutely unnecessary, with the innate idiocy of this “holiday” combined with overspending and the oppression of the singles contributing to the atrocity known as February 14th.
Think of Christmas, Eid or Lunar New Year, all of which are widely celebrated, with rich histories intertwined tightly with religious customs, giving people real reasons to indulge in a holiday. They are at least a good use of your money. Valentine’s Day, on the other hand, not so much. When you ask people their favorite holiday, I can almost guarantee they will not say Valentine’s day. It’s irrelevant and a day many partners dread as they try to hunt down the perfect gift. Not to mention, the absolute most absurd way to celebrate love, with grand, money-filled gestures replacing warm actions of real love.
Have you ever wondered how we always end up spending more than we intend? Consumer behavior is ridiculously easy to predict and manipulate, and Valentine’s day is no exception. Stores bedazzle themselves with red and pink, adorned with fake-flowers, complete with the grandest assortments of candies, chocolates, stuffed animals holding hearts and cheesy cards all seem way over-the-top, but clearly, companies know how to profit. And it works a little too well.
I get it- it feels nice buying your cherished ones something they will love. I’m sure many of you can relate; you’ve just started dating someone you really like and want to show your appreciation for them. But at what cost? For that same person to “make a mistake” or “lose feelings”? How about your ex-best friend that ditched you? Were all these people really worth shedding the money on?
For those of you who don’t have that special someone, someone to love, how often do find yourself staring at a couple, thinking: “Man, I hope they find out they’re related”, or find yourself listening to “kiss me thru the phone” by Soulja Boy, hoping someone, somewhere, does indeed want to kiss you through the phone?
In essence, Valentine’s Day is an abominable “holiday” with no real purpose besides swindling people out of their money and making everyone else feel lonely. Before you fall victim to this, or waste your hard earned money on that special person this Valentine’s Day, I suggest you take a moment to reconsider a better use of your money, which is quite literally anything other than a stupid pink bear holding a stuffed “I love you” heart.