February 14th, according to the calendar, is Valentine’s Day.

This is the one day when you can show your love and appreciation for someone by buying them lots of flowers, candy, and stuffed animals. It’s the day when you see couples swooning over each other and singles slowly spiraling into a self-induced comas of ice cream and chocolate. The media usually portrays the quintessential single person on Valentine’s Day as lonely and frustrated, biting on pieces of chocolate from a red and shiny heart-shaped box.

Although those are popular images and emotions that people associate with Valentine’s Day, does anyone truly know how Valentine’s Day originated? When I asked multiple students, many of them told me (after shooting me annoyed looks) that no, they had no idea why we celebrated Valentine’s Day the way that we do.

Whenever given this answer, I jumped into a quick description of February 14th’s medieval history. (They didn’t like that much either.)

A somewhat simplified version: There was a St. Valentine who was persecuted by the Roman Emperor Claudius III. When St. Valentine wouldn’t convert to Roman paganism, Claudius decided that he needed to be beheaded. While St. Valentine was in jail, he reportedly healed a blind girl and then promptly got his head chopped off.

The last thing left of St Valentine was a note to his unnamed beloved saying, “From your Valentine”. Thus, ever since that day, we have been giving out valentines to those we care about. (Thank you, Wikipedia, for making me look somewhat intelligent.)

So why is it that we, as Americans and as high school students, fret so much about one single day out of 365? I was sitting in a class the other day when one student blatantly pointed out that another student didn’t have a Valentine’s Day date, as if it were a bad thing. Is it that much of a deal for teenagers to have someone special on a day that a saint was beheaded?

Valentine’s Day is just an ordinary day filled with social pressures: pressure for those in committed relationships to give the right gift to their significant others and pressure for single people to find someone special on this crude day that reminds them that they are still – unfortunately – single.

Why must you buy some chocolates or flowers to show someone that you care about them? It’s ridiculous to think that the only way that you can show someone you love them is if you buy them the perfect gift. In my observations, I saw multiple students whining about how they had no idea what to buy their boyfriend or girlfriend.

Is that the level that we have all sunk to? That we need a predetermined day to finally give us the courage to show someone we care?

So maybe I am being a little harsh, but why should we feel this immense pressure to buy something for someone we love? Are we that superficial? If you are in a committed relationship with someone, he or she should probably already know that you care about them — otherwise you have a problem.

My other issue with this particular day is that if you have just found yourself in a relationship a week before Valentine’s Day, now you have to find something to give your new significant other. Valentine’s Day is usually a very sentimental (and mushy) day for couples, and if you’re not ready to take that step with your new boyfriend or girlfriend, well, that’s just too bad for you. You have to get them flowers and candy; otherwise, you’re just not being a good partner.

When you have a significant other, the absolute worst part of Valentine’s Day is when you get them the wrong thing or something that they don’t like. “Wait a second, did you get me dark chocolate? I told you three months ago that I hate dark chocolate.”

It’s obviously just a metaphor for your relationship, and a sign that there are going to be  communication problems.

Seriously, dark chocolate? If you find yourself in a fight this Valentine’s Day, I definitely feel for you.

Now, let’s not forget the mortifying situation if you’re single on Valentine’s Day. The first  immediate reaction is panic. You’re alone, and everyone is going to know it now.

There will be no receiving gifts of bright blood red roses or chocolate with caramel centers. There will be no giddy feeling the morning you wake up on Valentine’s Day because you will automatically be cast aside in society for not having that special someone to spend it with.

The way I think of it, Valentine’s Day is the one day that you are really going to feel that you are single. It shouldn’t be like that, but that is just the way the chocolate heart-shaped cookie crumbles.

A little fun fact that I would like to share with you: I found out that, statistically speaking, more women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day than receive them from someone – or so my Herbal Essence ‘Hello Hydration’ conditioner bottle says.   Just thought  I would mention the extremes people will go through to make it look like they have someone to love on Valentine’s Day.

My last point: Valentine’s Day is just a day for the candy-makers and flower shops of the world to increase their income. They don’t really care what the day is about, it’s all about the money! (Isn’t it always?)

Now, some might argue that I’m spouting all this negativity about Valentine’s Day because I am single and bitter about that fact, and maybe you’re partially right.

However, I have talked to many of my friends who are in relationships and they feel the same way. Valentine’s Day is a day filled with pressure, anxiety, and fear, when it should  be about caring and appreciating one another.

For all you single people out there, try not to agonize over your relationship status this Monday! Just remember that, when you’re on your eighth box of Godiva chocolates at 9PM, I’m right there with you.