FN EDITORIAL LOVE IN THE AIR:LOVE IT OR HATE IT, VALENTINE’S DAY REMINDS US TO CARE FOR OTHERS

There are two camps on Valentine’s Day – those who disdain the holiday for its cheesiness and inherent commercialization, and those who see its celebration as necessary for a fulfilling relationship.

Much of the Flyer News staff falls into the first camp. Valentine’s Day seems forced and overdone, designed to sell candy to couples and movie tickets to single people seeking some inspiration to find their soulmate.

That said, why do we care? Or rather, should we care?

It’s true that people overreact to Valentine’s Day and splurge on trivial items that are usually forgotten or misplaced. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person spent more than a hundred dollars on various holiday paraphernalia in recent years, to somehow prove that they care about a significant other.

But just because you might disagree with how somebody celebrates the holiday doesn’t mean you should just be as rabid about your disapproval.

The anti-Valentine’s Day camp is as crazy as the lovebirds.

We all know that love is not supposed to be a one-day celebration. Even the opponents of Feb. 14 surely know that celebrants of the holiday show genuine appreciation of their better halves the other 364 days of the years.

So let’s just live and let live, and celebrate or not celebrate the holiday however we like. The lovebirds can empty their wallets on restaurants and roses, the holiday haters can sit at home all night, and the single people can go to the movies alone.

We can embrace Valentine’s Day or ignore it. But we should never forget to show love and care for others. Giving is more important than receiving. Love is giving.

Give your love to someone you care about this Valentine’s Day and let Cupid’s arrow fly.