Valentine’s Day not just a couple’s holiday

Valentine’s Day has become a holiday that strictly favors one group of people over the other: those in relationships versus those who are single.

For those in relationships, Valentine’s Day is filled with oversized teddy bears, red roses and heart-shaped chocolate boxes.

For those who don’t have a significant other, Valentine’s Day is much different.

“Well since I couldn’t be more single, I will probably spend Valentine’s Day doing homework and watching sappy movies,” first-year Rebecca Vaca said.

This is essentially what Valentine’s Day has become to single girls: a day to have a Nicholas Sparks marathon while sobbing into a bowl of ice cream.

I’m not sure what it’s like for single men, because, quite frankly, most women care about the holiday to a much greater extent, but I imagine the feeling of loneliness still creeps up on men when they see other couples enjoying this holiday.

Something needs to be done about this. A realization needs to be made from both ends of the spectrum.

Couples must acknowledge Valentine’s Day is not just for them, and to those who are single, moping is not the proper way to spend the holiday.

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be considered a day to just share with a significant other, but a day to show everyone in our lives how much they mean to us.

It should be a day to share with our friends and our family, who deserve to know how much we appreciate them as well.

Especially friends in particular, according to a study conducted at the London School of Economics two years ago. The study discovered that when it comes to who makes people happiest, friends are number one, increasing happiness by 8.2 percent. Spouse/partner relationships follow at 5.9 percent, the study said.

This simply goes to show that our friendships, even the ones we hold with our family members, are what truly evokes that feeling of well-being in our lives.

So why not celebrate this: the people that matter in life.

Valentine’s Day’s focus on romantic relationships has gone on too long.

And while there’s nothing wrong with aspiring for love, platonic relationships have in a way been forgotten, and these relationships are essentially what we need to sustain life and be happy.

We need friends who are there to pick us up when we fall down, to wipe our tears when we need them to and to make us laugh when no one else can.

Friends are the people who will always be there, so why not celebrate that?

Instead of letting the shimmering red and pink aisles at Walmart taunt us, let them instead just remind us of the love we have for those currently in our lives.

Let us make plans on this holiday with whomever it may be, let us buy small gifts for our friends, make our own dinner plans or just simply hangout.

Whatever it may be, spend this holiday being thankful for those we have, spend it simply being happy, and soon Valentine’s Day won’t be holiday just for couples, but a holiday for us all.