Red roses, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, giant stuffed teddy bears, and jewelry store ads are all signs that Valentine’s Day is upon us, but is Valentine’s Day an excessive holiday?

The origins of Valentine’s Day tells a dark tale about the Romans that many do not know about. The Romans were the first to ever celebrate Valentine’s Day; from February 13th to the 15th they held the feast of Lupercalia, with the men sacrificing different animals and women, then getting hit with the animals.

Now, the day has completely changed and has been marketed as having to spend a bunch of money on loved ones to show that you care about them. In today’s day in age, if you do not get something for your significant other on the holiday, then you are shamed for not truly appreciating and caring for them. 

Because of this ideology that has been around for ages, brands can come away from the holiday with large profits. In 2019, Americans spent over $20.9 billion according to Business Insider on the holiday. Companies can use this day as blatant commercialization, like Hershey Food and Hallmark Cards who make large profits off holidays like Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day has brought the idea that you need one day to go out and buy flowers or buy a new gift for someone you love. Even if you are not in a relationship with someone, there are cards to send to other family members or friends. No one is off the hook from this holiday. On average, Americans spend over $162 on the holiday, states Business Insider.

When it comes to spending money, there are some people that can not go all out, with one in ten Americans going into debt on Valentine’s Day expenses. Because of this, some relationships can be severely weakened during the holiday. 

Having a holiday to share love is also redundant. Having just one designated holiday to just focus on your significant other should be your anniversary, not an international holiday. Your anniversary is significant to you, not Valentine’s Day.

With the holiday comes an extreme bout of stress and many opportunities to fail. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a superficial holiday, spending quality time with the ones you love is how you make memories that last a lifetime.