Valentine's Day gets a bad rap

I hear lots of complaints regarding Valentine's Day each year. People say it's a worthless holiday, it's pointless, etc. You know the drill.

I'll have to say, though, that Valentine's Day has a lot more substance than people give it credit for. Doesn't Valentine's Day stem from the persecution of Saint Valentine? He supposedly cured some girl's blindness before being executed, and there's a lot more to the story, but as far as I can see, the roots of the holiday run a lot deeper than just an on-the-surface, commercialized thing. It's been around in various incarnations since the Middle Ages. Come on, now.

Valentine's Day is a holiday meant to celebrate your love with someone else. People say that you should express this love at all times of the year. But Christmas is likewise a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Mother's Day is a time to celebrate our hard-working moms, and I don't see anyone bashing those holidays. What gives? I mean, shouldn't we be worshiping Christ and appreciating our mothers all year round, too?

I think people give Valentine's Day an undeserved hard time. Sure, it's a nice excuse to get your loved one some chocolate, go out to dinner, give a hug. But wait! We should be doing this all the time, right? Well, if you're going to go that route, then shouldn't we be getting people Christmas presents and Mother's Day cards and Easter eggs at all times of year as well?

Honestly, Valentine's Day is a perfectly harmless holiday. Bashing it because you're single equates to bashing Father's Day because your dad is a scumbag.

Sure, it's not going to make everyone happy, but for what it is, it's a great excuse to truly celebrate your love for a girlfriend, boyfriend, friend, family member, or anyone else you might have deep feelings for.