A once loving holiday, acclaimed for its romantic values, has now become riddled with novelties. A person can’t even walk through the grocery store without being bombarded with love and their crippling loneliness. The love has been sucked out and replaced with chalky candy hearts and stuffed bears that “wuv hugs”. The real value is lost in translation when people waste time measuring their love in cash.

A “Hallmark” holiday is a holiday considered corrupted by commercialism. Money is thrown left and right while the purpose of the holiday is thrown out the window. This is arguably happening to Valentine’s Day. Instead of spontaneous acts of affection, people settle with quick buys and meaningless greeting cards. Though the holiday seems to defy morals and the popular heart shape seems to defy biology, the success of this holiday is undeniable. Which begs the question, why has the value of love been equated to a cheap toy collecting dust? It has turned more into an obligation than an endearing holiday and the demand for a quick solution has only increased. Our daily trifles leave less time for holiday plans and companies have taken advantage of our desensitization to love. Over the years, the population has only added fuel to the fire by increasing the profits made. More and more people are throwing together purchases and rushing through the day. Aisles are littered with toys and pink hearts cloud what really matters. Love isn’t about how much money you are willing to spend on someone.

The origin of Valentine’s Day is, unfortunately, unclear. Though written valentines did not become popular until the 1400s, its historical importance is deeply rooted. February has typically been associated with romance and Saint Valentine. There are a few popular legends that are connected to Valentine’s Day. One describes Saint Valentine performing secret marriages against the leader’s wishes which subsequently lead to Valentine’s death. Another depicts Valentine being imprisoned and later falling in love with his guard’s daughter. These two stories emphasize important qualities, one being romance and another being the heroicness of protecting love.
Valentine’s Day is meant for the hopeless romantics. Though many of us might be more hopeless than romantic, there is no reason for us to make this holiday have less to do with love and more to do with money. Valentine’s Day was intended to be a reminder for valuing the people you care about. Though love will never lose its meaning, society is losing the motivation to celebrate the meaning. Love is what happens when you are busy making other plans and life is what is lost when you neglect to appreciate things you love.