Valentine’s Day: the holiday in which 18.6 billion dollars are spent on overpriced chocolates, ridiculous red roses and meaningless diamonds. The pressure to spend copious amounts of money on disposable gifts is unavoidable, and even encouraged, on Valentine’s Day. As the worst holiday of the year draws near, ponder if it is actually the great celebration of love it was intended to be.

The Catholic Church celebrates February 14 as the Feast Day of St. Valentine, the patron saint of love. This day was originally a beautiful symbol of God’s love. But like most other holidays, it has been commercialized by secular society, losing its original meaning completely.

Splurging for chocolates or flowers, most likely imported from starving third world countries, are not symbols of everlasting love. Not to mention the bouquet of beautiful red roses you bought will wither and die within a week of the purchase, and your significant other will not remember them at all.

In grade school, children constantly plead with their parents to buy sweets to share with their class. As a result, more money is spent on this ridiculous holiday. I vividly remember in grade school feeling pressure to send my crush three anonymous candy grams to show my “deep and passionate” love. From a young age, Valentine’s Day convinces children that love can be bought in candy and teddy bears.

If you are one of the lucky few who have a significant other, Valentine’s Day may be wonderful. But keep in mind, the expensive chocolate boxes from “the best boyfriend in the world” are bought for thousands of other girls by just as many unoriginal boys. For all the single ladies (and gentlemen) who are not in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is just another reminder of the unavoidable fact: you are single and lonely.

Love is not here one day and gone the next. It should not pressure people to pay expenses or make special plans. Love is unconditional. The casual and disposable love that Valentine’s Day promotes is artificial and designed to suck money out of consumers’ pockets. Instead, each and every person must focus on true love and constant devotion to our loved ones every day, every year. As Valentine’s Day draws near, think of the true love you wish to show the people you care most about in your life.