Valentine’s Day: a holiday centered around love, yet hated by many. Every year, as February arrives, so does a familar chorus of phrases such as “Valentine’s Day was created by greeting card companies”, “Love should not need a calendar reminder” and “Valentine’s Day is a consumerist scam.” Although the holiday has passed, in this article, I will dispel these Valentine’s myths.
“Valentine’s Day was created by greeting card companies.”
In short, no, it was not. The actual history of Valentine’s Day is a bit of a mystery, with the Catholic Church pointing to three martyred saints named Valentine
who could be the holiday’s namesake. In all three legends, the name is strongly as sociated with love, with one story claiming that Saint Valentine was a prisoner who wrote love letters to a young girl, and signed them “from your Valentine”– a phrase still in use today. Although it remains unclear which Valentine is respon-sible for the name of the holiday, the association of the name “Valentine” with heroism and romance continued through the Middle Ages. The reason Valentine’s
Day is celebrated in February is largely attributed to Lupercalia, a mid-February Pagan festival. The festival was a celebration of fertility and included a tradition in which all the young women in the city placed their names in an urn to be chosen
by one of the city’s bachelors. This match would be paired up for the rest of the year and often ended in marriage. Therefore, Valentine’s Day has a history that began well before it became commercially popularized by Hallmark in the 20th century.
“Love should not need a calendar reminder.”
Valentine’s Day does not exist because love needs permission. It exists because we as humans have busy lives and therefore benefit from structure. Valentine’s Day is not an anomaly – we celebrate many holidays annually, but you do not hear many complaints that “thankfulness should not need a calendar reminder” during Thanksgiving. Rituals help us mark meaning, and Valentine’s Day is no different.
Valentine’s Day is also not only (or even primarily) about couples. It is about love
in all of its forms: romantic relationships, friendship, family and even self-love. According to the National Retail Federation (NFR), around 83% of Valentine’s Day consumers are anticipated to purchase gifts for a significant other, followed by 58% for family members, 35% for pets, 33% for friends, 27% for children’s classmates and teachers and 21% for co-workers. Additionally, Galentine’s Day (an unofficial holiday on Feb 13 dedicated to celebrating female friendships) celebrations have risen in popularity in recent years, demonstrating the shift of Valentine’s Day away from solely being a romantic holiday. Human connection is not a given, it is something that we have to maintain, so what is the harm of a day that reminds you to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you?
“Valentine’s Day is a consumerist scam.”
According to a survey by the NFR, consumer spending for Valentine’s Day increases yearly. For 2026, it is expected to be around $29.1 billion. But does the presence of overpriced roses invalidate the sincerity of what people express through them? Although it may be a cliché, it is important to remember that the best gifts always come from the heart. There is more value to a well-written card or a home-cooked meal than a heart-shaped box of chocolates or a giant teddy bear. Valentine’s Day does not need to be a display of consumerism, just a display of appreciation and a reminder to tell your loved ones “I love you.”
