Celebrating Non-Romantic Relationships on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day is, by nature, one of the many holidays that exists to bring people together. Yet, the holiday is also one of the more divisive when it comes to people’s opinions on it. So what makes this such a controversial holiday?

Often, one’s relationship status can affect their opinions about Valentine’s day with those in relationships typically enjoying the holiday more than those who are single. But there is more to the discourse than whether or not someone’s in a relationship.

The holiday raises questions among many people, regardless of relationship status: Should couples need the excuse of a special day in order to celebrate their relationship? Is it a holiday meant exclusively for couples or should we be celebrating non-romantic relationships as well? 

Ultimately, everyone will celebrate Valentine’s day in the way that they think best suits the holiday. But, as with many things, the important thing about celebrating Valentine’s day is balance; couples can celebrate Valentine’s day without it being their only excuse for celebrating their relationships, and non-romantic relationships can still be celebrated–or at least acknowledged–when celebrating Valentine’s day.

Valentine’s day is a holiday about love and romance, but there are some who believe that people shouldn’t need a special day in order to celebrate their partners, and that instead, couples should be able to partake in most Valentine’s day activities–going on dates, giving gifts, etc.–at any point of the year. Although that is true, this argument seems to imply that couples only do romantic things on Valentine’s day. For many couples, this isn’t the case. Rather than having Valentine’s day replace all other opportunities for couples to celebrate their love, the holiday should instead be celebrated in addition to whatever couples do year-round.

However, it can also be important to celebrate non-romantic relationships on Valentine’s day. People who are single tend to be more willing to celebrate platonic and familial relationships on Valentine’s day–probably because they don’t have a partner to celebrate a romantic relationship with. 

But, even people who are in romantic relationships should remember their relationships with friends and family on Valentine’s day, even if they decide to focus more on a romantic partner. Our culture tends to put a lot of emphasis on romantic relationships while often overlooking platonic ones. 

Those platonic relationships are often just as important–or even more important than romantic relationships. Valentine’s day is a holiday celebrating love; we should celebrate the love of friends and family in addition to romantic love.

Everyone celebrates Valentine’s day differently. The way that one chooses to spend the holiday may depend on not only their relationship status, but also on various other circumstances that differ from person to person. 

There is no “right” way to celebrate. But most people should find that these things can apply to their Valentine’s day celebrations regardless of their own personal circumstances: couples can enjoy the holiday however they want, but everyone, regardless of relationship status, should also be able to celebrate the non-romantic relationships in their lives.