Valentine’s Day has always been one of the more controversial holidays out of the bunch. From the romantics, hopeless or otherwise, with their songs about romance and love stories to the pessimists who see it as nothing more than a corporate grift to sell chocolates and love letters. Everyone has their own opinion about Cupid and his quiver of arrows. I say give it a chance. Love can be romantic, it can be platonic, it can be whatever you want. After all, how can love be silly when it’s all we have?

What is love, if not baby don’t hurt me? To be Jewish on Christmas, or Protestant on Paddy’s, is to be me on February Fourteenth. If love is all we have, then I am lucky to have friends, but I am lost for the spirit of this holiday. When heartbreak makes you bitter, celebration makes you stoic. But it does not serve to bemoan one’s own romantic ills in the face of another’s happiness. To those celebrating this week, salud. Love is a gift, and you have earned its merriment. Take this time to be present with your precious ones, and celebrate them. They are a miracle.

According to National Public Radio (NPR), the ancient Romans are believed to have created the modern day meaning of Valentine’s Day, but while we perceive Valentine’s Day as a peaceful and enjoyable holiday, this hasn’t always been the case. In fact, there is a much darker side to the holiday’s origins. On Feb. 14 within the 3rd century AD, Roman emperor, Emperor Claudius II, executed two men named Valentine, and their deaths would lead to what is now known as St. Valentine’s Day and the men would be honored by the Catholic Church.

St. Valentine’s day is a very good excuse for having a great time with your loved ones, whether or not it’s just friends that share the same lack of people who love you. Just kidding… However I don’t want to be the jerk here, but you could be doing this on any day of the week, why just now? Being kind and showing people you love them could only make the world a better place.

‘Tis the day once more; the day where lovers enjoy and celebrate each other in more than a few ways, and single romantics are left to have a particularly boring, if not painful time. Outside the sphere of capitalism, where there are chocolates, other sweets, flowers and balloons all shaped like hearts and stacked on shelves, the day is much the same as any other; same routine, same people, same things to do. Though with this day comes a reminder to think of and savor those that warm our hearts the most – and that, I think, is a sentiment that should be held on through every day of the year.