Celebrating Valentine's Day as a "single pringle"

Jason Woo
The Silhouette

Valentine’s Day has the distinct honour of being a divisive holiday that inspires happiness and depression in seemingly equal numbers. A quick scroll through Buzzfeed will reveal a number of simultaneously hilarious and sad gif-filled articles about Single Awareness Day. As you roam the halls of the university, you start overhearing conversations about how Valentine’s Day is a holiday based solely on consumerism, how both participants in the conversation are independent and proud of it, and that they don’t need no lover.

But, as a single pringle, I would kindly like to ask these Sad Larrys to respectfully keep it down. If you’re sad that you’re single, go ask that cute upper year in your tutorial on a date. If you don’t care for the holiday, go have your own fun rumpus. Midterms and the winter blues have already put a cloudy damper on many university students; the last thing we need is more negativity.

In these seemingly dark times, I see Valentine’s Day as a hopeful beacon of the now oft missing sunlight. It’s a day where the power of love is celebrated, where I can see the unadulterated happiness and bliss that love is capable of inspiring. When a friend tells me about her Valentine’s Day plans, it just fills me with overwhelming bubbly happiness. If that catchy Pharrell song, “Happy,” has taught me anything, it’s that happiness is contagious – if only you will let it envelop you.

Valentine’s Day is also a time to celebrate any love you have in your life. It doesn’t have to be pigeonholed into the archetypical romantic couple. Take a moment to appreciate the love you have for your family. I know that I don’t tell my family I love them nearly as much as I should. Like many other holidays, the fundamental purpose is to use it as a means to recognize and celebrate something good in your life.

Take the day to celebrate with your friends. This year I’m sending my best friend out of province a Valentine’s Day gift. We’re not as close anymore, but times like these remind me of the bond that we have. She’s sending me something too – and I’ll be as happy as any couple in love when I open my own box of chocolate dipped strawberries. Alternatively, you can get together with you best friend to crack a bottle of wine and watch a bunch of rom-coms. Valentine’s Day can be fun and wonderful for anyone as long as you approach it with the right mindset.

Love and cotton candy is in the air. Why let such inherently sweet things bog you down if you can let it lift you out of the winter doldrums instead?