Love actually isn’t all around: What Sussex students hate most about Valentine’s

Love is in the air… or is it?


It’s that time of year ladies and gentlemen. From cringe cards in shops to less than special promotions, there’s no doubt that Valentine’s is back and worse than ever. Whether you’re in a relationship, in that awkward talking stage or completely single, there’s no denying that February 14th is the most dreaded day of the year. Fortunately for you, we are here to make the build up to Valentine’s a little more tolerable. Whether you’re spending the day with a significant other, your closest pals or a bottle of the strong stuff, we all dislike Valentine’s to a certain degree. Here’s what Sussex students hate most about the big day…

‘Public displays of affection’

Starting out strong, PDA is hands down one of the worst parts of Valentine’s day. We get it, a day dedicated to love and all things cringe is bound to lead to some displays of affection, but having to watch couples playing tonsil tennis in public? absolutely criminal. Whether you’re in a club, a restaurant or just taking a casual stroll, please refrain from the heavy petting and face sucking because we guarantee that nobody wants to see that. So please do the rest of us a favour and keep that to yourself. Because believe it or not, it’s pretty grim.

‘Seeing everyones Insta posts when you’re single’

Totally understandable. Unfortunately, Valentine’s day wasn’t made for single people. So being alone on the big day is bad enough without being forced to look at other peoples V-day posts. Couple posts are bad but they are even worse when they’re captioned with some cringy quote or song lyric. We get it, your significant other of six months is your “absolute world”, but please do not subject the rest of us to a paragraph proclaiming your love for them. Some advice for our single readers, spend Feb 14th with friends and laugh at the couple posts together.

‘Having to book restaurants at least three weeks in advance’

Valentine’s is all about loving the people around you, and what better way to celebrate than going out for a slap up meal. Whether you want to go on a romantic date with your partner or just a lunch date with friends, Valentine’s day is guaranteed to put a spanner in the works. Unless you’ve made a reservation weeks before, the chances of getting into a fancy restaurant during Valentine’s weekend are pretty slim. A totally understandable reason to dislike the day, but fear not we are here to help. Here are some other Brighton date ideas for Valentine’s.  

 

‘The pressure to get a date’

For those of us without a partner, the build up to Valentine’s day is filled with absolute dread. The pressure to find someone to spend the day with is second to none and totally overwhelming. It could be the perfect day to ask out that one person you’ve got your eye on, but unfortunately this isn’t a cheesy rom com and that could go totally wrong. So if that’s not your style, spend the day with your closest friends and forget about the pressure of not having a date.

 ‘How commercialised it is’

It’s safe to say that a large part of Valentine’s day is about buying gifts for those that we love. From bouquets of flowers, boxes of chocolates and those ugly teddy bears, there is no escaping the commercialisation of the big day. The pressure to buy your partner something super nice is understandable. But don’t fall into the arms of capitalism and buy super unnecessary and unwanted gifts. For example, buying a partner flowers is a great gift, but buying them socks with your face on? not so much.

‘People complaining about being single’

February 14th is a day for the couples, there’s no denying it. It’s the one day of the year where they can make Instagram posts without judgement (potentially) and proclaim their love to one another. Understandably, there’s nothing worse than having someone complain about their loneliness on Valentine’s day. Being single is never a bad thing, but complaining about it when others attempt to celebrate will definitely ruin the mood. Let those who want to celebrate have their day. For all the single readers, time to plan a celebration with friends and have an equally good time as the couples.

‘Watching cheaters giving gifts’

Pretty understandable. No explanation needed.

‘Couples’

From a single persons perspective, couples are absolutely the worst part about Valentine’s. Its totally normal to not wanna see a ton of cringe-inducing posts and couples flock to your local restaurants. Remember that Valentine’s can be celebrated in many different ways. Spending the day with friends and going out to a club is a great alternative to spending it with a significant other. As well as spending it with others, spending it alone is also great too.

Whatever you decide to do this Valentine’s day, make sure it’s spent having fun and we hope its filled with lots of love and overpriced presents.

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