Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us once again but the tide seems to have well and truly turned on its popularity.
February 14 has gained a bad reputation as a time of misery for singles, inflated prices for couples, and unnecessary pressure all round.
In a poll, conducted by DailyMail.com earlier today, 73 percent of readers said that they ‘hated’ the romantic holiday – and they are not alone.
In the past, a whole host of famous faces, including Ashton Kutcher and Gillian Jacobs, have rallied against the special occasion.
And this year discontent seems to be reaching fever pitch with social media flooded with calls for the day to be abolished once and for all.
February 14 has gained a bad reputation as a time of misery for singles, inflated prices for couples, and unnecessary pressure all round (stock image)
In a poll, conducted by DailyMail.com earlier today, 73 percent of readers said that they ‘hated’ the romantic holiday – and they are not alone
Earlier this week, Fox News anchor Julie Banderas sensationally announced she is getting a divorce on live television before vehemently slamming Valentine’s Day.
The mother-of-three, 49, said: ‘F**k Valentine’s Day. It’s stupid. Even when I was married I didn’t get s**t for Valentine’s Day… well, I’m getting a divorce, I’m going to go ahead and say it right here for the very first time.’
Banderas went on to call Valentine’s a ‘Hallmark holiday.’
‘It’s stupid, it’s absolutely ridiculous,’ she said, before dishing out advice to the men in the audience about how to present their significant others with flowers.
She said: ‘By the way, guys, if you are going to get your girl flowers, don’t bring them to her in a box, that’s the only advice I’ve got for you.
‘If you come to me in a box, you better be dead.’
The unexpected outburst was reported by DailyMail.com who decided to canvas wider opinion about Valentine’s Day in a poll.
The results were overwhelming, with 73 percent of participants saying that they ‘hated’ the romantic holiday. And it is clear to see why February 14 is so unpopular.
Many consider the day to simply be a ‘commercial holiday,’ where the only true winners are big businesses.
Last year, US consumers spent a total of $23.9billion on gifts for Valentine’s Day, according to a survey by National Retail Federation.
It said that the average spend was $175.41 per person with costs expected to rise even higher in 2023.
Candy, greeting cards and flowers came out on top of the list of most popular gift categories in the US.
But these have all been hit by the rising prices caused by inflation – let alone the extra markup added on by stores trying to cash in on the occasion.
The cost of candy is already up more than 11 percent from a year ago, stationery and gift wrap is up 16 percent, a meal away from home is up more than eight percent with jewelry and flowers also both up nearly six percent, according to CBS.
But for many the pressure to buy something for their significant other still remains.
Ashton Kutcher, Gillian Jacobs and Jane Lynch are all among the famous faces who have publicly turned their backs on the holiday in the past.
Speaking in 2010, when still married to Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher told Parade: ‘I hate Valentine’s Day. I can’t stand it’
Gillian Jacobs and Jane Lynch are also among the famous faces who have previously turned their backs on the holiday
Speaking in 2010, when still married to Demi Moore, Kutcher told Parade: ‘I hate Valentine’s Day. I can’t stand it.
‘I think that every day should be a day of romance. I think you should celebrate love 364 days out of the year.
‘Then, on Valentine’s Day, you should get to tell whoever you hate that you cannot stand them. There would be one day of hating, and 364 days of love.’
Actress and director Gillian Jacobs is another high-profile star to speak out against the special occasion.
She previously told Yahoo Entertainment in 2016: ‘It’s one of those holidays where it’s just all expectations so it can be nothing but disappointment.
‘Unless someone gets you a bouquet of diamonds, it’s going to be a let down.’
Glee alum Jane Lynch also told the publication at the time that Valentine’s Day was ‘the most ridiculous holiday that has been created by greeting card [companies].’
Candy, greeting cards and flowers came out on top of the list of most popular gift categories in the US (stock image)
This year, on the build up to the big day, more social media users than ever have been opening up about how they really feel about the occasion
Other famous faces to hit out against the holiday include Carrie Underwood, Nina Dobrev, Judd Apatow and Nick Kroll.
And, this year, on the build up to the big day, more social media users than ever have been opening up about how they really feel about the occasion.
One user wrote: ‘I hate Valentine’s day so much man. Not because I’m single but because it’s literally a pointless holiday.
‘You can celebrate your love for someone any day.’
Another said: ‘I hate Valentine’s Day so much. I dislike the holiday, and the culture around it. My contempt for it grows a little each year.’
And a third simply added: ‘I hate Valentine’s Day just like how the Grinch hates Christmas.’
What are the origins of Valentine’s Day?
Although St Valentine’s life is largely shrouded in mystery, tradition holds that the ancient clergyman, who was killed in 273AD, sacrificed his life for love by defying a ban on marriage imposed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II.
Historians claim the hard-nosed ruler was determined to build a formidable army to defend his empire.
St Valentine’s life is largely shrouded in mystery
He clamped down on lovers getting married as he believed that young men with no wife or dependants would be more likely to go to war.
But the early Christian saint challenged the edict and secretly performed weddings for couples.
The risks were great. Valentine lived at a time when Christians were persecuted and marriage ceremonies were still a new ritual.
St Valentine’s match-making activities, particularly for soldiers, were eventually uncovered and Claudius II imprisoned and tortured him.
Legend has it that while in jail many young people supported him by throwing flowers and passing notes through the prison bars expressing their belief in marriage and love.
And apparently shortly before his death, the clergyman fell head over heels for his jailer’s blind daughter, Artemias, who miraculously regained her eyesight.
On February 14, the day of his execution, St Valentine sent his sweetheart a goodbye love letter signed ‘from your Valentine.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk