Well, it’s time once again to share our thoughts about what is arguably the most controversial holiday of all time: Valentine’s Day.

We won’t give you a full history of this romantic occasion (for that, you can check out Laura Lapham’s article), but we’ll share some of our opinions on this.

Through it’s increasingly commodified nature (e.g. buying cards for your significant other as a sign of affection), Valentine’s Day has created a stigmatizing onus that you can’t be single on the day in question. The only solution is direct action. If you’re someone who is and has always been anti-Valentine’s Day, then you will have to spearhead the cause and stop buying the chintzy cards, candy and stop celebrating the holiday altogether.

But there are other views on the holiday. What we’re forgetting is that there are many different kinds of love out there: there’s the familial love you have for your parents and siblings, the platonic love you have for your friends and yes, the kind that seems to be incessantly shoved down our throats this time of year: romantic love.

Here’s the issue with this: Why is it that our culture is essentially saying romantic love is the only kind of love that should be celebrated? Do you have to have a significant other to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is a time for love, but it does not have to be with a significant other. It can also be a day to appreciate your friends and family: people you love, albeit in a different way than a significant other. February 14 is the perfect time to show your love for all of the most important people in your life, regardless of whether or not you’re single.

Valentine’s Day has been forgotten by your loved ones sometimes and with good reason: because it shouldn’t change how you treat one another. This day, although it encompasses how you should care for your significant other, shouldn’t be the only time you appreciate them. The holiday should be a reminder to always remember what you have and to cherish it always. In other words, we should be encouraged to express our love and care for each other more than just one day a year!

Valentine’s Day has become commercialized; however, it is a wonderful occasion to tell those around you that you love them. Also, as you’ll read on Page 9, it is a fantastic time to learn the weirdest facts you know about anything possibly relating to the holiday, and that is a reason to celebrate enough.