Valentine’s Day, a commercialized holiday every February 14th is used to show your love to someone (usually your significant other, but family or friends work too) through cold-hard cash. Superficial gifts such as over-priced chocolate and “kiss begins with KAY” jewelry are considered a “proclamation of love” on this one day. What happened to dates once a weekend? Or the kind of “fairytale-love” that every girl (or boy, whatever you’re into) aspires to be a part of? 

The “capitalized-romance” in the air is not only hurting the pockets of couples but hurting the hearts (and eyes) of singles. By nurturing the idea of having a loved one on this holiday, people without significant others look at Valentine’s Day as something they want to ignore but it’s there, kind of like that one annoying friend (you know which one I’m talking about). “If I’m walking down a school hallway and see a couple being all ‘lovey-dovey,’ I’m automatically going to throw up,” explained Emily Bracher, a senior at Key West High School (KWHS).  Here’s some advice: shove some ice cream in your mouth and call it a night on February 14th, and maybe stay off social media the next day. 

Hallmark, a family-owned American company, produces romance movies all year round, but especially during the Valentine’s Day season. Their blockbusters, All Things Valentine and My Secret Valentine, show unrealistic expectations of what the idea of love is. However, they still manage to drain the pockets of women (and the soft-hearted men) around the world, encouraging fantasies of “once-upon-a-time” love. Will a cowboy at your friend’s cousin’s wedding sweep you off your feet as you’re falling off a horse? No, so stop dreaming. 

In a real relationship, a couple should tell each other they love them every day, not once a year. Love comes in all shapes and sizes, but those shapes and sizes shouldn’t be based on how many figures you or your partner make. It’s about understanding someone like you understand yourself. That’s what this holiday should be all about: celebrating the love of you and your partner uncapitalized. “When you are in love, you should be able to show that you care for each other with little surprises,” explained Emma Scepkova, a junior at KWHS. “It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture or an expensive diamond ring, you just have to know that whatever you do it will make them happy.”

On and off Valentine’s Day, love is more than boosting the economy. Instead, increase quality time, laughs, and most importantly the love for each other in your relationships, because those moments are more valuable than your paycheck at the end of the week. Cut the tripe on Valentine’s Day.