Valentine’s Day, it seems, has all the characteristics of a made-up Hallmark holiday. It is a holiday created purely to encourage we consumers to go out and give our money to a few select industries: greeting cards, candy, roses, restaurants, etc.

But does it surprise anyone that this holiday actually has a history? Obviously, there’s the link to St. Valentine. Some theorize the actual St. Valentine was a hero of love who performed marriages in secret after the Emperor forbid them.

The origins of the holiday can also be tied to nature. February 14 marks the start of birds’ mating seasons, which could provide the link between Valentine’s Day and love. This is the time of year when chickens lay more eggs, gardeners plant seeds indoors, and farmers welcome newcomers into the group.

But, if we think more about it, our celebration of Valentine’s Day seems disconnected from all of these origins. Instead, we buy mountains of pink and red heart-shaped crud, loads of candy, pricey jewelry, and who knows what else.

Srinithi Vasudevan ’16 makes careful observations of Valentine’s Day: “A sea of reds and pinks—that’s pretty much all I see whenever I pass through a crowd with multiple couples. Isn’t it a little too much just for a mini celebration?”

Roses, as a clichéd symbol of the day, might be particularly ridiculous: do roses even grow in February in New Jersey?

Essentially, because of these commercial aspects of Valentine’s Day, the true purpose behind it has changed into a competition to see who has a larger bouquet of flowers to post on Instagram or Facebook at the end of the night. Valentine’s Day seems to be actually losing its significance because it is so money-driven. As a result, all the people in relationships are expecting huge gifts and gestures and even get upset when they fail to receive them. The financial state of the United States is indeed important, but do we really want this perpetual cycle to go on and simply watch Valentine’s Day turn into a huge asset to America’s economy?

Jesse Mactaggart ‘15 makes a profound remark: “Instead of following the suggestions given by marketing experts who want to celebrate your love by making big bucks, couples should consider celebrating in a way that is special to them, and do so throughout the whole year.”

Celebrating one’s love is a beautiful idea, and this is all the more reason why treating your loved one to gifts or date nights ought to be more than an annual occurrence.