Here at the Spectator, we know that the United States’ capitalist ideologies can penetrate their way into almost every facet of life. For example, working to the point of exhaustion just so that you can one day buy that house, car or even a piece of jewelry for that special someone in honor of a semi-made up holiday.

But the Editorial Board would like to remind you that Valentine’s Day is just that — a day that has some historical roots, but has morphed into specific template of what love is, and how to express it.

Valentine’s Day, as it currently exists, reinforces the United States’ heteronormative culture and pressures people to feel like they must buy material gi s for their signi cant other in order to maintain a happy and ful lling relationship.

However, the Spectator suggests for our generation to reclaim the holiday from America’s corporate greed.

It’s estimated that consumers will spend $19.6 billion this year on Valentine’s Day-related purchases alone, according to the National Retail Federation. And instead of buying candies, flowers and the like, we implore you to preserve Valentine’s Day’s original narrative of taking a day as a reminder to show the ones we love them, in whatever way feels best.

Advertisements might suggest that the “best” way is buying a gift for your significant other, but Valentine’s Day has the potential to be expanded into a positive day for all kinds of love. Celebrate your friends, family and most importantly, yourself! Don’t feel pressured to spend $143 on someone on this special day (what Americans are expected to spend this year on average) — do what feels best to you. Whether it’s sending a text to your mom, making your best friend a card or spending your Wednesday night with a face mask and a smoothie, love can manifest in many different ways, and often does in more minute ways than grandiose gestures of oral arrangements.

It’s understandable that being single on Valentine’s Day can be a drag, but that’s just the basis of our thesis. As we grow older, and begin our leadership in building a just and humane world, we can take it upon ourselves to modernize antiquated ways of thinking, speaking and celebrating.

And although it may seem like updating Valentine’s Day to have a broader take on love might seem trivial, it can serve as the beginning of building a more positive and inclusive take on love.

While it’s easy to get bogged down in commercials featuring dated romantic gestures between specific kinds of couples, remember that this holiday belongs to all of us, no matter your gender identity, sexual orientation and relationship status.

– The Spectator Editorial Board