Is Valentine's Day for Hallmark or So Much More?

Valentine’s Day or St. Valentine’s Day has been around since before the 14th century. If you want to learn more about the history, you can read that here. In the 21st century, there are a lot of mixed emotions around Valentine’s Day. Many men think that it’s a Hallmark holiday to get our money, while millions of women long to receive red roses and extra affection from their significant other.

I’ve been a mixture of the two throughout the years, so I’m going to share with complete honesty my thoughts on Valentine’s Day. When I was in elementary school, I enjoyed the day because I could show my friends love with little cards. February 14th wasn’t about romance at that time, and I loved the idea of telling my friends I loved them. In middle school, I still loved the day. It became much more stressful trying to pick the perfect teddy bear and chocolate for my boyfriend though. Especially since I didn’t have much money to spend, but I still enjoyed the idea of sharing my love with someone special to me.

Then in high school and college, everything changed. I had been told by so many guys that Valentine’s Day is a stupid, made up holiday, I thought that I would be abnormal if I didn’t agree with them. I didn’t want to be seen as a superficial woman who just wanted roses and quality time with my loved one. But I did… I do. I think that most women around the US whether they are able to admit it or not want to feel loved and wooed on Valentine’s Day.

It’s one day a year set aside for couples to make each other feel special, feel valued, and ultimately feel loved. I understand that the world has really done well to make so much money off of our love, but why is that a bad thing? When we spread more love and show kindness and affection, everyone wins.

Now if you’re single, I fully understand that this day may not be your favorite. You may be longing for someone to love and share this holiday with. I hope that one day you find him or her and can share all 24 hours with your love. Let this be an opportunity for you to share love with your friends, your moms, your sisters, and everyone else around you. How wonderful is it that we have a day set aside each year to just LOVE! That sounds like one of the most Christian days of the year to me.

So to all of the men on Valentine’s Day, I’m telling you, shower your wife or girlfriend with love and affection. It doesn’t have to cost much and you don’t have to do anything grand. Spend time talking about your interests. Make a meal together at home, and eat under candlelight. Write her a sweet note on a post-it. Your effort and actions are signs of love no matter how small. There is only one day out of the whole year set aside to love harder and better than the other 364 days. Why not celebrate in full grandeur? Your marriage and your relationship can do nothing but flourish when you pour out love on your other half.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful day with someone you love and shower them with affection. You have nothing to loose and a future of happiness to gain.