Every February—irregardless of my relationship status—I look forward to Valentine’s Day. 

To me, Valentine’s is not just one day, but a way of life for the latter half of the winter season. 

I adore the aesthetics: red, pink, white and heart-shaped everything. And I especially love the excuse to eat as much candy as, well, my heart desires.

Through chatting with my peers, however, I’ve found that they don’t all share my joy in the season. For many, trying to find a date—or an appropriate gift for your situationship—in the lead up to Valentine’s Day is a source of major stress and anxiety. 

For most, Valentine’s is simply another reminder of their singleness.

Our generation is especially sensitive to the holiday, with 60% of Gen Z feeling pressure around Valentine’s Day, which is mostly attributed to external sources, such as societal expectations and commercialization, according to a Jan. 29 2020 article in PR Newswire.

And I get it. I hate couples. I don’t want to see what shitty restaurant your ugly boyfriend begrudgingly took you out to or an awkward picture you guys took of yourselves kissing. 

I know you’re dating. I already assumed that you have kissed, you don’t have to show me. 

My love for Valentine’s Day comes from a nostalgia for the innocent joy of arriving to homeroom on February 14th in elementary school with cards and candy at the ready.

Exchanging and collecting cards from your classmates was a simple pleasure that we don’t have an equivalent for as college students. Not only was it exciting, but it was also a sweet way to show appreciation for people we wouldn’t typically otherwise. 

Now, I know some people are big celebrators of Galentine’s Day, and I think that’s fine. But I just don’t think it’s necessary.

I think we should celebrate V-Day with all our loved ones, whether they be friends, significant others or somewhere weirdly in between.

Valentine’s Day can also be a great excuse to get creative with some arts and crafts, whether it be DIY-ing themed decorations, making your friends a silly card or just creating stress-free artwork to take your mind off homework. 

In the conversation around Valentine’s Day, it’s often assumed that single people are to be pitied. 

But I think it’s the opposite: when you’re in a relationship, Valentine’s Day holds so much weight and pressure—to find the right gift, plan the most magical date, say all the right words—and all this on a Wednesday. 

I find the platonic love in my life much more enriching than trying to force some sort of romance. Plus, I’m taking 19 credits—I can barely find time to do laundry, much less message people back on Hinge. 

As a single person, I get to go about my day and celebrate all the love in my life. I don’t have to lament that my organic chemistry night lab is taking time better spent on my sweetheart. 

I can make Valentine’s Day into whatever I want it to be. 

Feeling lonely and sad on Valentine’s Day is not inevitable, but simply the result of a mindset that accepts the societal norm that being in a relationship, any sort of relationship, is better than being single. 

So this Valentine’s Day, don’t despair. Let’s take notes from our younger selves, and not treat a silly holiday invented to sell cards so seriously. Embrace the inherent cheesiness, the chalance and the childlike joy.