Valentine’s Day started in 273 AD, when St. Valentine died on February 14. Over time the memory of this death turned into a day filled with love.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday meant to share extra love with family and spouses. Items such as handmade cards and flowers are original and thoughtful staples that most reach for on the holiday.

Unfortunately, over time the commercialization aspect of the holiday has increased. During the month of February all that is seen in stores are pink, red and hearts. General stores and companies go overboard trying to get as many sales as possible. Overconsumption and commercialization have come hand in hand with many holidays as people get wrapped up in material items they see in malls and online and forget the meaning of the holiday overall.

Things like gifts and restaurant reservations are focused on, instead of more thoughtful and memorable moments. The holiday is meant to focus on love and the sharing of it, but the commercialization takes away from the private and romantic aspect.

Of course Valentine’s Day isn’t the only holiday that is affected by overconsumption, most holidays are spent with gifts and decoration, but it gets to a point when the idea of being able to afford gifts comes to mind rather than just spending time with loved ones. Many people spend the greater part of the year saving money for the holidays like Valentine’s Day when a handmade card and quality time is much more valuable than a store bought gift.

Companies may not change the way they commercialize the holiday, but instead of pulling up Amazon on your browser or heading to the mall, sit back and think how you can do something personal for the people you love to bring back the true meaning of the holiday: love.