Many people have grown to dislike the official holiday of love. Just the name itself is enough to evoke a feeling of disgust in some. A lot of people who are single, or simply don’t want anything to do with love, do not always enjoy seeing couples exchanging roses, chocolate, and affection everywhere they go. However, Valentine’s Day does not have to just be limited to people in relationships.

Before getting into that, one should know at least a little about how the holiday came to be. As romantic as Valentine’s Day seems in the modern day, it was not always known as a day full of love. On February 15, there was a holiday called Lupercalia to celebrate Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. It is believed that Christians created Valentine’s Day around the same time in an attempt to christianize what they claimed was a pagan holiday (history.com). Throughout the course of time, though, this day became less about purification and more about love.

February 14 never started out as the official day of romance, so who says it strictly has to stay this way in modern day? There are numerous amounts of ways to celebrate for those who are single or don’t currently want a relationship. It can be a day to spread love to friends instead of a significant other. Dates don’t have to be romantic! Take this time to show appreciation to friends by telling them that you appreciate them or by going somewhere with them. You could even take the time to give them a gift or candy.

This can also be a holiday to show love to family members. Instead of making it about romance, it can become a day to celebrate with relatives. My dad buys me chocolate and a stuffed bear with the year on its foot every Valentine’s Day to where I now have a collection from when I was a small child, and my mom buys us food. If you check local restaurants, you will find that some offer special discounts even if you are not in a relationship! For example, Pizza Hut usually sells heart-shaped pizza around this time of year.

An aspect that a lot of people forget this month is taking the time to love and appreciate themselves. “True love starts with you.” Jada Benett, a junior, says. “You must love yourself before you can love anyone else.” It may be cliché, but you do not need a significant other to feel loved. In fact, you have to be around yourself longer than they do, so you might as well learn to appreciate yourself first. People can use this day to name or list things that they love about themselves or to treat themselves to food or gifts.

A few might think it is “cringy” to try and find ways to make Valentine’s Day platonic for those who are neither in a relationship nor are particularly ready to be in one just yet. But once you begin to get rid of the mindset that February 14 is a day strictly about romance, you begin to see that Valentine’s Day isn’t so gross after all.