Valentine’s Day is celebrated each year on February 14. Originally, this was the day the Catholic Church honored three different saints, all of whom were martyrs. Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is more commonly thought of as a day where people celebrate romantic relationships and friendships, showing appreciation for others. On the surface, it seems like a pretty harmless day where people can make each other happy. Just imagine all the people who rely on this one day to tell their crush that they have been crushing on them for years.

However, there are some surprising drawbacks to this celebration. The first of these is money. On Valentine’s Day, people often feel inclined to splurge on many different items in the interest of making their loved ones happy. Problems arise when the number of people they want to purchase gifts for exceeds their budget. In fact, in the US, people spend a total of $23.9 billion on Valentine’s Day. Excessive spending can be detrimental to the consumer, of course, but it can be beneficial in some ways. For example, some personalized items come from stores and shops that can specifically tailor items to a certain person. This means that at least a portion of the money being spent goes to small businesses. Subsequently, Valentine’s Day boosts the economy as a whole; however, there is no guarantee that this is sustainable. With inflation on the rise, it is impossible to tell how much longer people will be willing to spend the same amount of money on items as they did before.

Other than financially, Valentine’s Day can be detrimental emotionally. One PDS student offered: “I’m currently not in a romantic relationship, but I have close friends outside of school who do. Watching them be happy together while I’m still struggling to have a normal conversation with a person of the opposite sex is really difficult. But hey, at least if I get candy I can have it all to myself.”

Luckily, PDS allows students to celebrate Valentine’s Day even if they aren’t in a romantic relationship. Giving a carnation to someone is a great way to show that you care about them. “I think it’s fun if you treat it platonically, you don’t have to treat it as a ‘romantic thing,’” says sophomore Lily Zebrauskas. “It can be a lot of pressure, but it doesn’t have to be taken super seriously. It’s just a fun time to express appreciation for the people in your life.” Anybody can participate in Valentine’s Day festivities, whether they have a date or not.

It is vital to remember that while Valentine’s Day is an annually recognized day where people show affection and gratitude, displays of affection shouldn’t be restricted to one day of the year. Love and appreciation can be shown at any time, not just on February 14. Talk to new people, and who knows? Maybe you’ll find someone who also doesn’t have anybody to share their copious amounts of candy with.