By Kennedy Werner

The holiday that determines whether we sit at home watching chick flicks with Ben and Jerry or we go out for a romantic evening with our honey: Valentine’s Day.  As this holiday quickly approaches the calendar, how are you feeling? Confident? Lonely? Indifferent? Sure, if you have plans for the holiday, you’re either busy baking him red and pink cupcakes in the kitchen, buying her flowers and chocolates, or making dinner reservations to that restaurant she’s always wanted to try. But if you don’t have plans, you might be uneasy about the inescapable advertisements all around town… Do not fret. Valentine’s Day is about love; and I don’t only mean the romantic type!

St. Valentine was a Christian saint that was imprisoned for conducting weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry under Roman rule. It is also rumored that Valentine healed his jailer’s daughter (whom he fell in love with), and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine,” which is how the entire holiday began. The custom for this holiday, originating in Europe, is to send greeting cards, flowers, chocolates, and other small gifts to a romantic lover.

In fact, here at Central, Valentine’s Day carnations are on sale at all lunches for $2. This is a great opportunity for lovers to get part of their gift shopping out of the way by sending out a flower or two. Central makes it easy.

Studies show that men, more often than women, spend more money on gifts for this holiday for their love. More commonly, men spend five times as much on jewelry than women do. However, women tend to scatter their gift spending to a larger range of people, than just their significant other, such as extended family, children, pets, or co-workers.

Beyond the love and positive energy provided by lovers on this day, many people throw “Anti-Valentine’s Day” parties, redesigning Valentine’s Day décor with black and red X’s slashed through and jamming out to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” and Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”.

So whether you’re spending the holiday alone, with friends, or with your honey, embrace the love this Valentine’s Day. As cliché as the holiday may be, everyone loves to see that someone else cares about them; whether its through a cheesy stuffed bear or a heart-shaped box of chocolates… it’s the thought that counts. After all, that is what the holiday is about, love, love, love.