Valentine’s Day not only for romantic love

Valentine’s Day, the holiday we all know and love. From candy hearts to chocolate in pretty pink packaging to roses to gift to the most important person in your life, it is no wonder that corporations love taking advantage of it. 

You have surely seen the various brands reshaping their products into something vaguely heart-shaped or dying it pink or red. This year, Fred Meyer featured horrifically pink candy corn, a creation which simply should not be in existence. Anything and everything becomes romantic this time of year. Even friendships can not escape the iron vice of Valentine’s Day, with the popular term “Galentine’s Day,” as coined by the show “Parks and Recreation,” flooding social media. 

The over-commercialization of Valentine’s Day, and by extension puppy love and cute couples, has become somewhat of a tradition. It is fun walking into a store and being confronted with everything redone in the colors of love and romance. There is a sort of charm to it, one that you cannot get any other time of year. It is a similar feeling to when stores start decorating for autumn in the middle of June. It feels wrong, and yet it is very fun to watch.

The Valentine’s Day merchandise is not for nothing, as there are plenty of adorable trinkets that one can buy and take home to annoy their roommate and then later donate to Goodwill. Or maybe you are one of the rare few who want to deck their dorm room out in pink and red, and in that case, February is the perfect month for shopping. 

As a whole, the commercialization of Valentine’s Day is a hotly debated topic. Many people think that is overdone to the point of annoyance, where people go beyond ignoring Valentine’s Day and simply must denounce it. 

On campus, there was even an event entitled an “Anti-Valentine’s Day Concert,” and it is far from the only one. You would only need to scroll through Instagram or any other social media  for a few minutes to find anti-Valentine’s Day content. 

Of course, there is nothing wrong with celebrating being single. Valentine’s Day does not only have to be about romantic love. It is a day to celebrate love of any kind, whether that be platonic, romantic, familial, self or any other kind. It is a day where you can spoil someone and they can not complain about you buying them things, because it is Valentine’s Day! 

While many might consider the holiday to be “cringe” or a worthless tradition that only exists to make corporations money, I find myself enjoying it. There is something very charming about Valentine’s Day, regardless of who you choose to spend the day with. No matter what large businesses try to do with it, it is still a day to celebrate love. 

Shopping for fun trinkets and treats is part of the fun. Sure, you might not buy anything, but you have to take a peek in the Valentine’s Day aisle whenever you visit the store. 

The plushies are adorable, and though the candy is horribly overpriced, it is fun to look at. And maybe you will buy a little something for that someone special. This time of year makes it very easy to confess your feelings, after all. 

Valentine’s Day couples are another matter, one which many people find annoying, but I find rather sweet. It is a perfect day to ask out that special someone. And who knows? Maybe Valentine’s Day gives you a bit of extra luck. It would not hurt to try! 

The holiday itself is fun and sweet, so do not let the naysayers get you down. If you do not want to celebrate Valentine’s Day, there is nothing wrong with that. And if you do want to celebrate, then you can still enjoy yourself and have fun! There is nothing wrong with appreciating a little love.