Lifestyle

06th Feb 2018

17 Reasons Why Valentine’s Day Should Be Scrapped And Or Banned In Ireland

Darragh Berry

A survey conducted at the start of February stated that Irish people spend a lot of time, effort and money planning for Valentine’s Day.

The celebration of love is fantastic but it doesn’t deserve its own specific day. If it’s not worth getting a bank holiday over (like Christmas or Halloween) then it’s not worth talking about.

Seriously, give us the day off for Valentine’s Day and we might consider changing our minds but until then…

Here’s 17 reasons why Valentine’s Day should be put in the bin once and for all and left there.

1. Waste of money

The price of everything goes up on Valentine’s Day. Pretty sure even milk goes up by a couple of cent.

2. Waste of a day

If you’re unorganised, you’re going to spend the day rushing around in your spare time trying to find gifts, flowers, cards and chocolates.

Want to relax after a long day at work? Nope, get on your Sunday best because you’re out for the evening.

No rest for the wicked.

3. You can’t even enjoy it

Aw, you booked your favourite resturant? Pity that it’s going to jam packed.

You can sit there and try to enjoy your meal (while squashed up beside the next table) but in the back of your mind, you know that there’s a time limit and you’ll be soon ushered out to facilitate for the next set of ‘romantic’ couples.

4. It puts pressure on single people

The flood of questions start. It’s okay to not spend Valentine’s Day with anyone. Same as it’s okay to spend any other normal day without a significant other by your side.

It may feel like a 24 hour reminder that you’re alone on a day that’s supposed to be about lovey-doveyness but you’re not.

If you’re single on Valentine’s Day, organise to meet up with your other singleton friends or even gatecrash a couple’s date. Tbh, ye’ll all probably have better craic.

5. It puts pressure on couples

You think you’ve done a mighty job but you’ll always be outdone by some other couple and don’t you forget that.

Bought them tickets to Paris? Your friend’s girlfriend rented out the Eiffel Tower for the day.

Bought them their favourite flowers? Your cousin’s boyfriend bought his girlfriend her own florist shop and she’s starting up on the 15th.

Even though you don’t want to, you’ll constantly size up your relationship on Valentine’s Day to others and if someone beats you – and they will – you and your partner will feel like shit.

So why even bother.

6. You’re celebrating someone’s death

That’s right. While you raise a glass to your amazing relationship you’re also celebrating Saint Valentine’s 1,800th odd years since his execution.

Cheers.

7. It’s directly after Christmas

Ah, hello? The bank account has just gone into the plus sign again. Could we not celebrate it in June or November or you know, NEVER.

8. It’s going to lead to a fight.

As well as competing to outdo other couples, you’re also in competition with each other. It’s very unlikely that both sides will strike up the perfect balance hence leading to a ‘you don’t love me as much as I love you’ type argument.

Oh great.

9. Because love shouldn’t be about one day

Would you rather a single big blow out for one day only or little tiny expressions of love 24/7, 365?

10. The date is completely pointless to couples.

Special days to celebrate your love: Your relationship/wedding anniversary. Not some random Wednesday in February.

If you want to show your affection, do so at a time of your choosing not when society tells you to.

11. It could be an early relationship killer

What if you’ve just started going out with someone in January or even February? Too small an expression of love and you could be axed for not caring.

Too big an expression and you could come across as an absolute weirdo.

No Valentine’s Card ever said: ‘I don’t love you, not saying I won’t ever love you but I’m very fond of you. I like you a lot but not too much to the point that I can’t live without you.’

Disaster.

12. It’s a birthday killer

It’s similar to those who have a December birthday. February is such a short month that if you’re in a relationship but your birthday is one of the 28/29 days, you can expect the two to be wrapped into one.

No double treats for you this year.

13. It’s on the same day as Ash Wednesday this year

FFS. If you’re going to celebrate it and you plan on doing a successful Ash Wednesday also, we hope you enjoy fish and haven’t made any promises to give up desserts or sweety treats for Lent.

14. It’s the month before Paddy’s Day

Instead of making Valentine’s official and giving us the day off, how about you give us the 18th of March off instead (or the 16th if Saint Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday).

15. It’s expected

There’s nothing fun about getting flowers or making breakfast in bed on February 14th. Doing it on a lazy Sunday while it’s freezing cold out just because ‘they deserve it’ is going to be a much greater surprise.

16. We have to endure the ‘Late Late’ special

There’s 200 single and rowdy Irish people on live TV. What could possibly go wrong?

17. You make rash (and bad) decisions.

That boy that you’ve shifted a couple of times on nights out but have zero interest in asks you out on Valentine’s Day.

You don’t want to be ‘with-with’ him, but you don’t want to be alone on Valentine’s either.

You choose, badly and spend the rest of February ducking and dodging calls.

This has to be scrapped.

We honestly can’t do another year of this. For the love and honour of Johnny Sexton, they barely had the Christmas decorations down and they were putting up love hearts.

Valentine’s Day, you had a good run but your time needs to come to an end once and for all.