By: Emma Robertson
Ah… Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air, the shelves are laden with chocolate, and the
stores are brimming with overpriced flowers guaranteed to make you sneeze.
Adding insult to injury, you find yourself without a sweetheart this year. My, oh my.
Just how did it come to this?
stores are brimming with overpriced flowers guaranteed to make you sneeze.
Adding insult to injury, you find yourself without a sweetheart this year. My, oh my.
Just how did it come to this?
Valentine’s Day is a holiday that stirs a variety of feelings in the public. Some view it as
the ultimate opportunity to showcase the devotion you have towards another. On the flip side,
others see it as a commercialized holiday “invented by the card companies” intended to take
advantage of couples.
Either way, Valentine’s Day has come a long way from the ancient days of pagan Rome.
According to History.com, Valentine’s Day can be traced back to the annual fertility
celebration of Lupercalia held in Rome on February 15. Dating back to as far as 6th Century
B.C., Lupercalia was awash with violence, sacrifice, random matchmaking, and the warding off
of evil spirits.
You know… the kind of stuff that we put in Hallmark cards today…
Eventually, February became synonymous with the story of St. Valentine who was
executed around the 3rd Century B.C., according to History.com. Valentine was placed in prison
for secretly marrying Christian couples and assisting those who were persecuted. When ordered
by the Roman Emperor Claudius II to reject his faith, Valentine refused. He was subsequently
beheaded.
Thus the Christian figure Valentine took center stage, and Lupercalia was all but wiped
from the history books. However, the colors red (for blood sacrifice) and white (for the milk
used to wipe blood clean), remained in use, even through contemporary times.
Despite its dark and somewhat disturbing history, Valentine’s Day shows no signs of
slowing down. In fact, romantics and hopeless romantics alike clamor to empty their wallets and
pour their hearts out annually all in the name of passion. The National Retail Federation claims
that in 2023 alone, Americans spent a staggering $25.9 billion on wooing and swooning.
The numbers don’t lie. Valentine’s Day is a rousing success for the economy.
However, what about those who don’t find themselves kissed by a rose? The U.S.
Census Bureau reports that a whopping 47%, or roughly 117 million people, are unattached and
free. What will these souls do on a day that touts togetherness, attachment, and lust, lust, lust?
Enter the “Anti-Valentine’s Movement.” As a more recent phenomenon, the
“Anti-Valentine’s Day Movement” aims to remove the stigma of single-hood on February 14. It
instead celebrates autonomy, strength, and the ability to enjoy oneself alone, or with friends.
Petula Dvorak, writer for The Washington Post, examines the trend in the article, “The
anti-Valentine’s Day movement is gaining strength.”
Dvorak claims, “Etsy is a parade of snarky T-shirts, cards, candles and candy all
aggressively anti-Valentine’s Day. They told me that searches for this kind of merch increased by
14 percent this year compared to last and that anti-Valentine’s Day T-shirts are especially hot this
year — 34 percent hotter than they were in 2023… It’s helping people reclaim control and assert
themselves — rejecting the hearts and flowers narratives strangling them.”
Although t-shirts, candy, candles, and merchandise offer a chance for individuals to
express their dissatisfaction and frustration with the holiday, the “Boo Cupid Movement” has
progressed far beyond Etsy.
aggressively anti-Valentine’s Day. They told me that searches for this kind of merch increased by
14 percent this year compared to last and that anti-Valentine’s Day T-shirts are especially hot this
year — 34 percent hotter than they were in 2023… It’s helping people reclaim control and assert
themselves — rejecting the hearts and flowers narratives strangling them.”
Although t-shirts, candy, candles, and merchandise offer a chance for individuals to
express their dissatisfaction and frustration with the holiday, the “Boo Cupid Movement” has
progressed far beyond Etsy.
The San Antonio Zoo, for example, is offering a fundraiser for those seeking a symbolic
and cathartic revenge on their ex. Nicholas Rice, reporter for People Magazine, claims that for
$10, interested donors can name a cockroach after jilted lovers and have it fed to a zoo animal.
For $25, frozen rodents can be fed to carnivorous reptiles. If those options make your stomach
turn, feel free to indulge in the $5 “romantic romaine lettuce” package, which consists of leafy
greens lovingly hand-fed to hungry critters. What better way to show your love to some amazing
creatures and support a good cause?
If the thought of feeding animals has your own stomach growling, how about nabbing
some free grub of your own? P.F. Chang’s is offering to soothe the weary and battered soul with
a tasty treat. According to P.F. Chang’s website, all you need to do is share a breakup text
through February 21 to get a free six piece order of dumplings.
Finally, what better way to combat the sling of Cupid’s bow than with the unwieldy fling
of an ax? Urban Axes offers an opportunity to leave the mushy, gushy romance aside and
channel your innermost Thor for the low, low price of $22.50 an hour. You may not find the love
of your life, but you may discover your own personal Valhalla for a bit.
To summarize, Valentine’s Day is, for lack of a better word, complicated. For those who
are attached, it represents an opportunity to showcase the devotion and care you have for another.
For others who are unattached, it is a day that may serve as an obvious and quite difficult
reminder that life can’t always be spent in the company of others.
Thus, the “Anti-Valentine’s Movement” isn’t a symbol of animosity or hostility. It
represents a shift towards a healthy outlook in society and relationships. It pokes hearty fun at
love, while allowing participants to remain strong and resilient in their independence.
For the 47% of unattached Americans, the “Anti-Valentine’s Movement” may be the
welcome breath of fresh air away from roses, chocolates, and perfume. It may be the reminder
they need that sometimes, the only love you need in life is self confidence, self-esteem, and
self-awareness.
