The last week was filled with many things: hard candies in the shape of hearts, annoyingly positive Instagram posts, and an influx of money to nearby florists. Why? Well, Valentine’s Day passed just last Friday! As the sickeningly sweet holiday made its appearance, some people were ready to run from an avalanche of bragging couples.

Valentine’s Day is quickly becoming more and more of a nuisance to the average person. In fact, Wikihow posted the article How to Get Through Valentine’s Day Being Single, and even Forbes writer Bruce Lee wrote the article If You’re Not Happy During Valentine’s Day, You’re Not Alone. In the article, Lee listed 20 reasons why people hate Valentine’s Day–even people in a relationship. 

“For a number of people, the commercially designated day of love can actually cause stress, anxiety, unhappiness and even depression,” Lee said, pointing out that Valentine’s Day is, “Stressing your relationship…failing to meet expectations…forcing [old-fashioned] roles.” 

People believe Valentine’s Day is tacky and unnecessary, but it’s more important than what initially meets the eye.

The initial view of the holiday is rather commercialized, but in reality, Valentine’s Day means a lot more than candy hearts. 

Valentine’s Day, like weddings, is a chance to tell someone that you love them, which is much more important than people think. If celebrating love isn’t that important, then why not cancel all holidays we have to spend with loved ones?

“Knowing that someone cares deeply about you and that they care about whether you’re happy or not is a big step in your life,” says Stephanie Kirby from regain.us. “It makes us feel more important and loved.”

Spending time with others and knowing you’re cared for is essential to happiness. Even more so, it’s also important to show that you care about others. 

“Just being able to love [someone] seems like a great experience,” Kirby also said. “you tend to enjoy it just as it is.”

Regardless of how insignificant it seems in the long run, small signs of love like a post on social media or gifts on Valentine’s Day actually do help people. Not only do they help with overall happiness, but they solidify a relationship and help both people in a relationship know they are valued.

So let the couples flaunt their relationships on their feed! Allow people to be so stubbornly sugary! 

If you still harbor resentment for the holiday because you don’t have a Valentine, then how about next year, you be mine. My gift to you is this lesson: stop being sad over someone else’s happiness, and be thankful for the happiness you have, even if it doesn’t come in the form of giant stuffed bears.