The posters in the hallways of Air Academy High, the new drinks at Kadet coffee and the recent choir concert, what do they all have in common?

They are all promotions for Valentine’s day.

Promotions for the day that is regularly conveyed as a time for happy couples, romantic proposals and endless gifts. A time for people to express their true emotions to someone else. A time where memories can be made that last forever.

A day where roses, cards, jewelry and candy prices all drastically increase. A day where cheesy hallmark movies plague television screens, and a day where millions of dollars worth of roses are imported to the US.

A day where there is an “expectation” to be in love.

This expectation can expose feelings of loneliness, insecurity, depression and being unwanted.

“(There is) a myth that Christmas is the most high-risk time for people to become suicidal, but actually it’s springtime,” said Diane Brice, head of the Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast in an interview with City On A Hill Press. “Nationally, that’s the time with the highest rate of suicide.”

The pressure to have companionship is crushing to some people. Many simply aren’t in a relationship, making some feel worthless and pushing them over the edge.

On top of the mental strain it poses, Valentine’s Day also brings about financial pressure. The average male spends $150 and the average woman spends $74 in gifts on this holiday.

But, few remember that friendship can also be celebrated on this day.

There is no point in giving in to pressure and feeling bad for yourself in any situation, especially Valentine’s Day. Friends and family are the most important people to celebrate your love for, and to celebrate with.

“I spend the 14th with my friends watching movies, hanging out and eating” says senior Josiah Bathje.

Ashlyn Johnson said, “I buy my friends presents on Valentine’s day regardless because they are always going to be the most important people in my life.”

Again, this shows that Valentine’s Day is a day that should not be spent with significant others, like how corporations suggest, but instead is a holiday to celebrate the people that are truly the most important – friends and family.