Because I am a teenage girl who loves romantic comedies, one might expect that Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. However, anyone who thinks this about me is nothing but wrong. Not only do I hate the color pink, but I detest Valentine’s day because for much of the population it is not an evening filled with passion but instead “National Single Awareness Day.”

This “joyous holiday” is not a time for love and romance but instead a time for couples to be encouraged to show public affection. Over the top affection like constant kissing and holding hands leaves the singles of the world especially desperate on Valentine’s Day.

At the same time, on Valentine’s Day couples are fueled not by love but by gifts. From the most expensive chocolates to the cheesy yet lovable Hallmark cards, every Valentine’s day gift seems to work up the holiday even more. Why does love have to be flaunted via public attention and commercialism?

This year it is projected that Americans will spend over 18 billion dollars on Valentine’s gifts for that special someone. But, every single day spent with that person should mean more than a dozen roses and a romantic dinner. Love should be priceless, and while I understand the sweet tendency to give someone a gift, Valentine’s Day’s once innocent attempt to continue the flame of love has now spread into a raging fire of commercialism.

I do appreciate the meaning behind the original St. Valentine’s Day, as well as the idea of appreciating the love between two people, but these two things have nothing to do with showing one’s love off to the world. Because while today it’s all about show, what it should be about is a personal relationship with the person you love.

For me, the simplest example of the problems with Valentine’s Day can be found in grade school Valentine’s Day party. At my grade school we were forced to bring a Valentine’s card for every single person in the class. This was supposed to be about loving everyone as a friend, however for the majority of the class it wasn’t about writing a nice message but instead about who had the coolest Valentine. As soon as we opened the lace and glitter crusted paper bags, the party became about having the most unique and coolest Valentine’s day cards to hand out.

So while I will probably sit down Valentine’s Day night and watch “The Notebook” and cry my eyes out because I’m single this Valentine’s Day, I guess I am kind of happy to not be a part of that commercial mess. Instead I can sit back, relax, eat a tub of Ben and Jerry’s, and watch it from afar, knowing that hope is still out there for us singles.