I think I’ve come to the conclusion that holidays ending in “day” don’t mean anything to me. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are perfect examples. First of all, I’m neither a mother nor a father, so maybe I just don’t get the significance behind those holidays. However, that doesn’t really change my opinion. I don’t think there should be one day where it’s expected to treat a parent or a loved one better than the other 364 days out of the year.

Valentine’s Day is today. This is a holiday that celebrates relationships and love – for those who are in a relationship and love someone. If you’re like me, single and not in love, this is a holiday that is filled with chocolate, movies and being with other single friends.

When we were younger, Valentine’s Day was one of the best days of the year (if it fell on a school day). I remember getting fun cards for everyone in my class, and sticking a piece of candy on each. The room was decorated with hearts and candy and we would take some time out of the day to exchange valentines with our fellow classmates.

But now it’s different. No one celebrates with their class or at school anymore. My advisory never has a Valentine’s Day Party, and I only get a couple corny valentines from friends. And people don’t give out chocolate anymore! How is it possible to celebrate love without chocolate?

Anyway, back to my point. This is a day where there are expectations to do something sweet for the person you’re dating. Well, why can’t every day be like that? Why does it all have to come down to this one day where a man is supposed to show his love for his significant other? Jewelry is expected. Flowers are expected. A nice card, maybe a giant bear and a box of chocolate is the norm. I just don’t get it. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be about showing materialistic love for another person. A lot of couples get caught up in what this day means to society and don’t take into account their actual feelings for each other.

And another thing: it’s always the man who has to do something extra sweet for his girlfriend. Women are just supposed to be impressed; little planning is expected on our parts. The man has to take us out to a nice restaurant for an expensive dinner, buy us presents, while we… what? Say thank you and get him a tie?

A woman shouldn’t just expect her boyfriend to be “super sweet” on Valentine’s Day. She should have to make the same amount of effort for him. Even men want to be showed that they are loved and appreciated.

This then brings me to the  question: “What do I do if I’m single on Valentine’s Day?” There isn’t a holiday celebrating how alone we are, so why is there one celebrating how in love we are? My advice for being alone on Valentine’s Day is to not go out to dinner, but instead buy a tub of ice cream, go to a girlfriend’s house and watch romantic comedies and feel bad for yourself. That’s what I plan on doing tonight. This is the only day where it’s acceptable to eat a pint of ice cream in one sitting. Enjoy it while you can.

Maybe when I’m older and in a serious relationship I’ll appreciate this holiday that everyone seems to love so much. But as of right now, I’m single, won’t be receiving cards about how awesome I am, probably won’t even be giving them (I know, that’s hypocritical for me to do), and  will be enjoying all the chocolate I can on the comfort of my friend’s couch while I wear sweatpants.

For all those people out there who do have a significant other, celebrate accordingly. Share a nice dessert and  buy each other something sweet and from the heart.