Published: February 2, 2011

It’s Feb. 14  and a couple enjoys a romantic dinner at a restaurant that required a reservation six months in advance. The lovely lady of the evening opens up her present. Gasp! It’s a necklace with a card attached to the box. She slowly opens the card to find the words, “I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day!” The words aren’t hand written; instead they’re printed on a Hallmark card which includes a picture of a cute teddy bear with a heart on the front cover. Adorable! . . . or completely unoriginal?

I hate to be the one who points this out, but a million other women in America own that same card and might have even gotten that very same necklace.

Yes, that’s right, Saint Valentine, someone has taken over your holiday, and they go by the name “Hallmark.” Some people are terrible at expressing their true emotions so they turn to greeting cards. This is a fine solution for birthdays or Christmas, but for the one holiday dedicated to expressing true and real emotions, there should be more effort. There’s nothing like a Hallmark greeting card to express how not unique your love is. I know, I’m probably one of the last remaining romantics in New York City (we’re a dying breed), but I want to see more love on Valentine’s Day and less gifts and greeting cards.

Why can’t Valentine’s Day be a day to cozy up, watch movies, and dance/goof around with your significant other? Get comfortable and just enjoy each other’s company instead of wasting time buying cards that mean absolutely nothing. Or at the very least, release the arts and crafts side of you and make a completely adorable card that your valentine will treasure forever. The holiday dedicated to love shouldn’t be dedicated to how many diamonds you received on a necklace, which is bound to cost your loved one a pretty penny.

Because Valentine’s Day falls so close to the other major holidays, most wallets across the country probably fear the day and the expensive diamond jewelry it requires. Essentially, there’s only a month to recover from Christmas and New Years. There are already so many holidays focused on gift-giving; Valentine’s Day should be the day to take a break. Love should always be free, so enjoy this Valentine’s Day without worrying about Hallmark cards or expensive jewelry!