Sorry to burst your love bubble, but Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a grand social experiment. Its a commercial hoax that thrives on exaggerated sentimentality.
What was once meant to celebrate love has turned into a frenzied ritual, performed not out of genuine affection but societal obligation. It is a day when romance is repackaged and sold, leaving many to wonder: is it truly about love, or just another performance dictated by market forces? Let’s bin it!
In Nigeria, Valentine’s Day has strayed far from its supposed essence. It is rarely about deep emotions or heartfelt connections but more often a means to an end. Many relationships, already fragile and perfunctory, find themselves caught up in the charade.
The elaborate displays of affection; flowers, chocolates, grand gestures, become a temporary facade, masking the emotional disconnect that lingers long after February 14th. Lovers who barely exchange kind words on an ordinary day suddenly feel compelled to orchestrate grand romantic spectacles.
Is Valentine’s Day worth celebrating Perhaps. But is the hype justified? Absolutely not. The entire affair has become cliché—a single day where people go into emotional overdrive, cramming declarations of love into 24 hours, only to return to their usual indifference the next day. Love, in its truest form, is not meant to be a corporate affair dictated by predetermined dates. It should be woven into everyday life, expressed in small, meaningful gestures rather than a one-day performance that fades as quickly as it begins.
Beyond the commercialization, Valentine’s Day creates unrealistic expectations. The pressure to stage the “perfect” romantic experience can be suffocating. Social media is flooded with images of extravagant dates, expensive gifts, and grand declarations of love, fostering a toxic culture of comparison. Many find themselves feeling inadequate, their relationships scrutinized against an unattainable standard. The anxiety of living up to these expectations often leads to disappointment rather than joy.
For those who are single, the day is even more alienating. Rather than celebrating love in all its forms; friendship, self-love, family – Valentine’s Day seem to elevate romantic relationships as the pinnacle of fulfillment. Those who are alone or have recently lost a partner may find themselves drowning in loneliness, questioning their worth in a world that seems to celebrate only couples. This forced isolation can have real emotional consequences, fueling self-doubt and despair.
True love does not conform to a calendar. It is spontaneous, unstructured, and free of commercial obligation. Romance is found in unscheduled moments; a surprise kiss, a random act of kindness, a joke shared in passing.
The real tragedy of Valentine’s Day is that it pretends to honor love while, in reality, distorting it. Love is not something to be pre-ordered with a bouquet or confined to a 24-hour display of affection. For those who are truly loved, every day is Valentine’s Day. For the rest, no card or overpriced gift can fill the void.
What’s all these love rush for? Not when some telecomms operators have made communication almost unbearable. Abeggi!
- F.Omosola
