“Bah, Lovebug!”

“It’s a made up holiday.”

“I buy my wife flowers when I want to ... not when some florist tells me to.”

“We celebrate our relationship every day - why pressure ourselves into doing it on specific date?”

Let me clarify. I’m a HUGE fan of holidays. All of them, pretty much. Perhaps the more pointless ones, the better. I’m zero percent religious, but I celebrate Christmas Santa-style, with flamboyant red and green sweaters or makeup, tinsel and mistletoe, and as much giving, celebrating and joyfulness that my budget will allow. I think I look at holidays through the eyes of a child, and what is wrong with that?

Listen: ALL holidays are made up. If humans weren’t on this planet, there wouldn’t be Easter. There wouldn’t be TUESDAY. So you can nay-say all you want, but if someone doesn’t plan the party, no one is gonna come.

Another thing: watching one person tap dance is cool. Watching a whole, dynamic troupe of precision-synchronized professional tappers shuffle-off-to-Buffalo as a single unit it stupefying. Same goes for holidays. Things are more fun when they are shared. There is unity in it, a common sentiment, a shared energy that connects people. You can Scrooge off into your little corner if you want, but well ... poor you.

Instead, maybe look at holidays (this upcoming Valentine’s Day specifically) as an opportunity rather than an obligation. You don’t have to buy overpriced roses or expensive trinkets. Glue some glitter on a cut-out paper heart and pin it to your hat, and I bet people will smile at you. Or do like me: outfit yourself head-to-toe in whatever you own that is shades of pink and red, rosy-blushed cheeks and a swipe of vermillion lipstick.

The point is, have FUN with it, instead of thinking it’s a burden. It’s far cuter to surprise someone with a bunch of tulips than it is to gripe about commercialization. Everything is just a matter of perception, and this one is so easy to shift away from the negative. Because trust me, we have far too much of THAT win the world ... especially now, when we have so much to legitimately bemoan. But glittered hearts and paper cupids? Maybe a chocolate kiss for a special friend, or a pink carnation in your lapel? I can definitely attest that we do NOT have enough of those in the world.