“Valentine’s Day could be truly lovely”

The thought of Valentine’s Day is sickening to most. Watching people gush over the half-off chocolate boxes and deformed teddy bears gifts which their partners give them makes me want to scream. Stores are infested with red and pink hearts, fat little cupids with scary arrows, and if I was shot with that, I wouldn’t fall in love, I would die. The whole thing makes me want to projectile vomit everywhere. Valentine’s Day has become much like any other holiday: one big commercial. One day a year, boyfriends, wives, and lovers finally remember their significant other and “surprise” them, although it isn’t much of a surprise with some lame, unoriginal gift.

Most people don’t know that this holiday actually stems from the story of St. Valentine. During the Roman Empire, Emperor Claudius II ruled it was illegal for single young men to be married because they made for better soldiers than those with wives and families. Valentine saw the cruelty of the decree, and instead held secret marriages for young couples. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Valentine’s Day was created as a tribute to St. Valentine who believed in love and allowing it to prosper. Valentine’s Day should be celebrated because sometimes, partners do forget to love their significant other in the chaos of everyday life, and it is a gentle reminder they should do so. I think Valentine’s has become unthoughtful; however, if we bring it back to its true meaning of loving and wanting to be with someone, then Valentine’s Day could be truly lovely, not some big hoax for businesses to make money.