Valentine’s Day is a holiday to celebrate the people you adore. However, many people don’t care/despise the holiday: including me.

It gets annoying seeing all these couples kissing each other and cuddling in the middle of the hallways. The holiday wasn’t really celebrated in my house; since my parents viewed it as a thing for grown-ups. So, it never registered as a major holiday with me until I grew up. I saw girls chatting about who they would receive valentines from, and guys pacing around nervously on what they would give to their crushes.

It became even bigger once I reached high school, since most students date around this time. People would equate dating to your confidence and appearance, which I find annoying. Freshman year I would feel less than since I wasn’t asked to be someone’s valentine. However, I realized that not going out/having a traditional valentine doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate.

This year, I gave treats to my friends and my best friend was my valentine. I enjoyed being with my friends way more than being with someone. I think our generation puts dating as a huge priority rather than meaningful friendships. I hope that people will read this article and not pressure themselves to date during Valentine’s Day because people make it a big deal.