You can read about the first time I went public with this statement here: Valentine's Day 2012 and then the second time I reiterated my viewpoint here: Valentine's Day 2013.
The commercialism of this holiday is what has always gotten under my skin. However, if I'm being completely honest (which I always prefer to be), that commercialism is what is most appealing about the holiday. Bright pinks and reds decking the lanes of grocery stores, chocolates a plenty, and teddy bears the size of your car---they all make me bubble up inside with child-like excitement.
Then I try to be Joe Cool about the holiday and play the, "We shouldn't only show our love for one another on one day of the year" card.
Duh. We also shouldn't only buy gifts for others on one day of the year, but I don't see anyone boycotting presents on their birthdays or Christmas.
I know a lot of people stress not losing focus on the origins of Valentine's Day. I don't think expressing love through food, gifts, or words loses the focus, I think it enhances it. Just a brief history about St. Valentine (who we can't be completely sure we've got the right guy since there were so many different St. Valentines during this time period---who would have known that Valentine is as common a name as John or Joe?): He was a priest in Rome who was martyred for his Christian faith (which was not allowed). One of the taboo things he did was to marry Christian couples secretly.
St. Valentine died defending his faith and enabling those of his faith to be brought together as man and wife. Valentine's Day is a day we can celebrate our love, and our ability to love and be loved in a country free of persecution of our beliefs.
If you want to pick a fight with a holiday, try St. Patrick's Day. Nowhere in the history of the life of St. Patrick does drinking, leprechauns, or little buckets of gold come in to play.*
*Note: Of course, it is still a great day to celebrate your Irish pride.
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