Valentine's Day is more than a day to spend money
Everyone has heard somebody say they refuse to celebrate Valentine’s Day because it is a heartless capitalist consumer holiday.
Well, that excuse just does not fly.
Whenever there is an event with mass participation, be it a holiday, championship football game or a “Jersey Shore” marathon, businesses are going to capitalize on it.
Just because shops and advertisers are trying to get the money of romantic saps, however, does not mean this is the central concern of Valentine’s Day.
As a matter of fact, it is a holiday that can be properly observed without spending any money, by the rich and poor, the single and taken, the romantic and cynical.
At its core, Valentine’s is a day of love, and that does not even have to be romantic love. This is the day to let somebody important to you know that you care about them, that you are thinking about them and that they are important to you. There are a million ways to do just that for little to no money.
The argument could be made that you should tell the people important to you that you love them on any given day, and that argument would be absolutely right.
However, there is bound to be a certain somebody, a friend or a family member who either does not know how you feel or does not hear it often enough. So what better day to take initiative and tell them than this upcoming Sunday?
People want to be loved and appreciated, and that can be shown without a bouquet of flowers, box of chocolates or a puppy with a red ribbon around its collar.
A hug, a letter, a warmly-worded Facebook message, a phone call, or just spending time with somebody that means something to you will not be underappreciated just because it didn’t cost $40.
Trust me, everybody wants to be told they mean something to somebody, whether the gesture is romantic, or just platonic friendship.
That is not to say that people should have to celebrate Valentine’s Day. If somebody does not like the holiday, then that’s their business.
The thing is, though, it is completely possible to celebrate love and friendships without succumbing to the pressures of social norms or capitalist dogma.
Yes, you can send a Valentine card and keep your indie cred.
