We asked our contributors if they were team Valentine’s, Galentine’s or against the holiday altogether:

Personally, I love both Valentine’s and Galentine’s! Any opportunity to spread love and positivity to those close to me is always a winner.

For many however, Valentine’s can be a lonely and stressful time for those not in relationships and this is not helped by the commercialisation of Valentine’s. The origins of Valentine’s can hardly be seen, with couples everywhere buying chocolates, flowers and other love-themed gifts from businesses using every opportunity to make a profit from the day.

Hence why Galantine’s for me is not only the superior holiday, but I believe a more genuine one where we can celebrate female friendships that are often taken for granted. From boozy brunches to days out, there are so many ways to get involved with Galentines without feeling the pressure to spend loads of money or feel the same stresses as Valentines. Friends are your support network and often have been in your life longer than any partner so take this opportunity to appreciate the best gals in your life.

By Jasmine Jones

The much-pondered debate: whether to spend time celebrating your friendships or your relationship on this love-filled day? IÔÇÖm all for having the best of both worlds. I think Valentine’s Day should be about making a show of your love for everyone in your life who is special to you and sparks happiness and joy. Although, in recent years it has become another ploy for companies to get us to buy more products so they can commercially gain from the holiday. This puts pressure on people who are in relationships to get the best most expensive gift for their partner, and even on single people to find someone to spend the day with, emphasising the fact that they canÔÇÖt be sad and lonely, especially on Valentines. However, IÔÇÖm a sucker for love, and if you scale down the day to what it was originally supposed to be about, itÔÇÖs a beautiful day where love is in the air everywhere in all kinds of forms.

By Ella Collis

For me the original meaning of ValentineÔÇÖs Day has now been lost, this is due to its commercialisation. I feel less and less obliged to celebrate it as businesses are only taking advantage of people, as a result of profit becoming a necessity. I think ValentineÔÇÖs Day often diminishes the true appreciation of love, due to the sole focus of it only promoting consumerism. I also think that ValentineÔÇÖs Day puts immense pressure on individuals to behave and act in a certain way due to the dateÔÇÖs intensity, to meet the social standards and to present a good impression. The commercialisation of Valentine’s Day has led to many individuals feeling isolated. The experience of love should be empowering to everyone all year round, even when it is in the mundane and doesnÔÇÖt follow the traditional conventions of love, the commercialisation of ValentineÔÇÖs Day doesnÔÇÖt always support this.

By Katie Storrie

Take this from a girl whoÔÇÖs been in a relationship for the past five ValentineÔÇÖs Days – V-Day is so much better when spent with the gals. It might be a day that celebrates the capitalist exploitation of the obsession society has with love and romance. But if weÔÇÖre being conned out of our money, why not take this time to share the love with your besties? For some reason, the commercialism of ValentineÔÇÖs Day doesnÔÇÖt bother me when I’m eating strawberry flavoured chocolates with my girls and watching trashy rom-coms over a bottle of wine. 

ValentineÔÇÖs Day has been blown up to the point itÔÇÖs no longer about showing the people you love how much you appreciate them. ItÔÇÖs a game of who can have the most romantic day; whoÔÇÖs boyfriend spent the most amount of money on them; who received the biggest bouquet of flowers? Whereas GalentineÔÇÖs Day is a celebration of the fact that you donÔÇÖt need any of those things, you donÔÇÖt even need to be in a relationship, to love or be loved.

By Sophie Revell