Valentine’s day is definitely my least favorite holiday, because no matter whether single or in a relationship it seems like everyone ends up feeling, stressed, miserable, or both.Every year we spend more and more money on a holiday that just leaves us feeling disappointed. Here are the five reasons I hate Valentine’s Day.

1. Pressure ~ If you’re in a relationship (especially a new one) Valentine’s Day puts a lot of pressure on you. You have to find the perfect gift for your partner. (Is your partner even expecting a gift? Are they going to get you anything?) Many people also stress over how much to spend, neither wanting to be over the top, nor be totally outdone by their partner. 
2. Disappointment ~ Inevitably, with all of the pressure placed on couples, someone is going to be disappointed. Maybe you put a lot of time/money/thought into your partner’s gift, and they didn’t do the same for you, or maybe you didn’t communicate well and your partner didn’t get you anything. No matter what, chances are someone is going to be disappointed.
3. Big Corporations are taking advantage of us ~ Big corporations continually increase the pressure on couples by creating more and more things that you have to get for your partner, and upping the prices every year.
4. Comparison ~ If you’re single for Valentine’s Day, you’ll probably end up comparing yourself to everyone in a relationship. This only makes you feel bad about yourself, and it gets even worse if you have family members who constantly ask about when you’re going to find a relationship.
5. It doesn’t make sense ~ There are several different theories as to where Valentine’s Day comes from, but they’re all pretty dark. One theory is that it originated from the Roman festival of fertility (Lupercalia) in which men sacrificed a goat and a dog, and whipped their wives with animal hides. Another theory is that Valentine’s Day got its name from the third-century execution of a priest named Valentine by Emperor Claudius the second. Neither theory sounds very romantic to me.