Eating out for Valentine's Day - canoodling or consumerism?

Valentines has become a checklist of things one person has to do for their significant other: flowers, cards, chocolate, a date. Year after year I watch friends and family buy into the idea that this day is special, meaningful, that you need someone to spend it with. And from this spurns the relentless consumerism every shop, from Anne Summers, to your favourite restaurant, unashamedly leans into and exploits. 

So yes, Valentine's is a consumerist holiday. 

The hype around the day is paramount to that of any other holiday however there’s something about Valentines that irks me, particularly the insistence that a dinner date is a must. Why not just go out for dinner any other day of the year? A day when the food will probably be cheaper, taste better – since you’re not bombarded with a thousand 'special' Valentine's options and a stressed chef dealing with twice as many customers all expecting their perfect night – you’ll likely have an all-round better experience. 

I don’t think there’s any way to deny that companies benefit hugely from Valentines being a commercial holiday. However, there is still the sentiment behind the holiday itself that exists and this, if nothing else, redeems a day that encapsulates corporate greed; making it a holiday worth investing time in. 

Will the florist charge you double for a bouquet of red roses? Probably. But in the giving of gifts, or in taking someone out to a restaurant, there’s also a beautiful honesty. It’s a statement: ‘I love this person’. I don’t blame people for buying into the consumerist nature of the holiday, after all we exist in a capitalist society and there’s no escaping it. 

Valentines is about both love, and consumerism. One fueling the other, without a relationship there wouldn’t be a date to go on, and without the option of somewhere to go, the date would be a lot cheaper and probably benefit from fewer international corporations trying to drain your bank dry. This doesn't mean I think it's the best idea to go out for food on Valentine's, but if you're prepared for the crowds that come along with any holiday, good luck!