Feb. 14, or better known as Valentine’s Day is a dreaded holiday that celebrates love and romance. Where public displays of affection  are allowed and tolerated. A day that reminds people without a significant other just how lonely their lives are. Oh how I hate thee.

Valentine’s Day started as a Christian feast day, honoring St. Valentine. Over time it became associated with love and romance. And then somehow naked bow-wielding babies. I guess I can kinda see how Cupid, the Roman god of love and affection, became associated with Valentine’s Day. Still weird though.

Now it’s become a commercialized holiday used to sell heart shaped candies and chocolates, love themed plushies, flowers and anything else that could possibly fall under the category of “romantic.” It feels like just another excuse for corporate America to fill its greedy pockets. They are quite literally capitalizing on love.

So why do I hate this holiday? Well, first, it’s a gross commercialization of Christian culture (I’m looking at you Christmas), and second, it’s like a slap to the face. Being a person who lacks a significant other at the moment, it can be nauseating seeing couples around every corner. I have genuinely considered buying myself a box of chocolates just to keep myself from feeling left out.

And don’t get me started on the PDA. From kissing to hand holding, it’s all so disgusting. We get it, you’re in love. Frankly, nobody cares. Nor do they want to see any of that. It’s just another reminder of what us single people are missing out on.

Not to mention the tacky displays of love and big romantic gestures. The endless bouquets of roses (which don’t even last that long), the oversized heart-holding teddy bears and those russian roulette boxes of chocolates. If someone were to get me chocolate, please just give me a box of the same chocolate. All of that combined is enough to drive someone crazy.

I’m not sure which I hate more, the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, or the day itself. Sometimes people get the inane idea to celebrate the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. I don’t know what infuriates me more, the cheesy events or the fact that we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day before the actual day. It’s hard enough having to deal with one day, why make me suffer for a whole week.

Come midnight the 13th, I’m locking myself in my room and not coming out until the 15th.

I think the only good thing about Valentine’s Day is the color palette and the fact that all the candies and sweets are on sale the day after. Other than that, there’s not much to look forward to on Valentine’s Day.

To be honest, I think I’ve heard more songs about how love is stupid than about how wonderful love is; “Cupid,” by Fifty Fifty, “I Shot Cupid,” by Stela Cole, just to name a few. I even made a playlist with such songs just to make it through the month.

Instead of celebrating commercialized romance and awkward gestures of love, we should focus on the one truly good thing that comes from Valentine’s Day – Palentine’s Day (and no that’s not a typo). Palentine’s Day (as the name implies) is a day to celebrate your pals. The day is a gender neutral version of Galentine’s Day (also not a typo) that focuses on platonic relations and friendship instead.

That aside, the fact that we need a set day just to tell someone we love them is stupid in the first place. I’m pretty sure couples say “I love you” to each other more than once a year. Either way, Cupid is stupid and Valentine’s Day is just another monetised holiday that I despise.