My crumpled Dove chocolate wrapper (let’s be honest, four of the wrappers from the 10 I devoured in one sitting) declared, “Love is nice, but chocolate’s better.”
What a stupid sentiment.
This Valentine’s Day, don’t let Hallmark profit off your self-pity and desire to fit in.
I am not arguing that you should skip the holiday entirely though; in fact, quite the opposite. Just reframe the holiday.
It’s the day of the year dedicated to showing love; what could be better than giving and receiving love even more than on a regular day?
Maybe I am speaking from a position of privilege, but I think that at least most of us has at least one human or animal we love and/or loves us?
Celebrate that. Show your love and affection more than you normally would. Indulge yourself in emotion; this is the day dedicated to that experience.
Tell a parent or parental figure that you appreciate them. Encourage your favorite professor.
Love yourself, whether that means a particularly long vibrator session or simply looking in the mirror and not criticizing all that you see.
Simply put, it’s a day of love, so … love.
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Every year, we publish a Valentine’s Day edition of our Voice section in order to bring the spirit of love to campus. We’re excited to bring you a number of articles (some serious, some satirical) dedicated to sex, relationships, the history of Valentine’s Day and more.
Should you plan to celebrate this day of romance with someone, be sure to stay safe and practice healthy sexual habits – and if you’re planning on cuddling up alone or with friends to watch movies and eat discount chocolates, that works perfectly, too. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to have fun.
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