It’s that time of year again; love is in the air as all the happy couples prepare to celebrate their love together, which is apparently something that only needs to be done one day each year. Valentine’s Day is a dumb holiday. We have all heard the now cliched, “Valentine’s Day was invented by the greeting card companies to sell cards,” but it is so much worse than that quote  suggests. 

The idea of Valentine’s Day, of course, is nice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating love, whether romantic, familial or otherwise. However, it is ridiculous to think that this means that you must purchase cards, candy and presents, all while booking an ultra-competitive reservation at the most expensive restaurant you can find. Nothing says, “I love you,” like bankrupting yourself for the feast day of a saint neither of you know nothing about! In case you forgot, Valentine’s Day is, in fact, the feast day of Saint Valentine. I am sure he would be proud of all of us honoring his name with as much senseless spending as we can handle. 

Further, if Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year that you and your significant other make time for one another, or is the only day you tell your mom you love her, you should probably consider rethinking your relationships with others. Sure, Valentine’s Day is a great excuse for having a romantic date or sending a nice card to someone else you love, but so is having some extra time on a Saturday afternoon. In fact, the other person will probably be happier with your random act of kindness or sudden interest in a romantic date than they would be on Valentine’s Day, when it is  expected of you to go the extra mile for love. 

So please, instead of going to The Refectory or spending hundreds on a piece of jewelry this Friday, wait a week and surprise the people you love with something as small as a nice text, or even better, spend a few cents on postage and send them a letter. There are 365 days in a year, which is 364 opportunities other than Valentine’s Day to show your love to everyone in your life. Not every day can be a special occasion, but surprising those in your life will always be better than some forced and silly holiday that takes place on a perennially dreary night in February. Not only will they be happy, but you will feel better about yourself for the act of kindness and your wallet will certainly be thanking you for sparing it from the financial nightmare that is Valentine’s Day.