Every year it happens. Valentine’s Day comes around and the haters start spewing their disdain for what they call a “hallmark holiday”. These are the same people, mind you, that start singing Christmas songs in June. In my mind that makes them huge hypocrites. Sure there are some people who say Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birthday, but that date was just as manufactured as Valentine’s Day. In fact, do your research and you’ll find that Jesus’ real birthday is sometime in the summer. They chose to celebrate it in December in order to have a holiday that coincides with the Pagan winter solstice for recruitment purposes. And if you don’t think that Christmas isn’t the most incredibly capitalistic holiday there is, you need to wake up.

To be honest, I can barely tolerate Christmas. I hate that they start putting up decorations in August. I hate that there are laws saying when you can start putting up decor. I hate that my favorite radio stations get taken over for two friggin months. I hate that I have to hope Big G gets a bonus just to be able to pay for it. I hate having to save up for it. I hate having to rearrange my furniture to fit a tree into my tiny living room. I hate the subsequent electric bill. I hate that I have to spend money on paper to wrap these things in. I hate the cartloads of gifts I have to truck around. I hate having to lie to my kids, and come up with ways to keep the spirit of Santa alive for my 10 year old SS who is starting to figure it all out. I actually don’t mind wrapping gifts, because it feels productive, but what I really can’t stand are all the people who come out of the woodworks to tell me what an awful, terrible, no -good, heartless person I must be to hate Christmas.

And then you all come out on Valentine’s Day and talk shit. Seriously? For all of those people who want to tell me that Christmas isn’t about material items, and thousands of dollars, don’t try and take my favorite day away from me! I spent the entire Christmas season trying my damnedest to enjoy the process. I tried to not post complaints on facebook for the entire month. I tried to get into the spirit by baking cookies, making rum balls and even a gingerbread house. So I just don’t want to hear the V-Day bitching. I tried, so you can you.

Valentine’s Day, just like Christmas, can be perverted to convince you to spend ridiculous amounts of money on plush animals, chocolates and roses. You can choose to cram yourself into a crowded restaurant, and eat the sub par offerings of the day with sacherinne labels, coated in pinks and reds. OR you can simply choose to express your love to the people in your life that you truly care for. You can choose to write a simple note, or make a craft, or start your own stay-at-home tradition. You can make the day whatever you want it to be.

For all of you singles, you can go out with your friends, you know, those people you love to spend time with? You can have a movie night and take the opportunity to indulge in treats you’ve been avoiding since Christmas, or paint the town red with a V-Day inspired bar crawl. You can even spend the time loving yourself. Take a long bath, play video games all night, give yourself a pedicure or a facial. Just because you don’t have a beau doesn’t mean you need to hate on the people who do.

To me, love is the absolute most important thing in the world, and we should have a day to celebrate it. For those of you who say, “we should celebrate it all year long”, you’re right. But just like we have a day to remind us to celebrate our veterans, mothers, fathers and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a day to remind us to say “I love you” is important too.

So Happy Valentine’s Day to you all, even the haters. Tell someone you love them today. It’ll make you feel good–I promise.