Cup of Cleveland: hearts and pink.

I can already hear a chorus of boo's at the title of this post. For many of you, Valentine's Day is the epitome of all things cliche and commercial. Target has fully embraced its trademark color by scattering red xoxo's, pink hearts, glitter and chocolate throughout the entire store. Mushy advertisements are everywhere. You may start to feel like you are being suffocated by a big, plush teddy bear. I get it.

However, despite my accurate description of Valentine's Day, I love this holiday. I've always loved Valentine's Day too...not just the years I had a little sweetheart in my life. Single on Valentine's Day and still embraced every tacky decoration.

What. It sounds crazy, but I think it's time for a mini history lesson. The holiday has some very murky beginnings. For starters, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three saints named Valentine, all martyrs in the name of love. It was a pagan holiday for a bit and then became more mainstream in the Middle Ages. Why? Because the French and English thought, "Hey it seems like Feb 14th is the first day of mating season for birds, we should celebrate." By the 18th century, everyone started exchanging little tokens of appreciation to their friends and lovers across all social classes. Now over a billion Valentine's Day cards are sent each year.*

Oh, was that not the romantic, fluffy history you were expecting for such a romantic, fluffy holiday? It wasn't and that's why I love it. Valentine's Day history is the perfect representation of love. It can be confusing and messy at times, but at the end of the day it is important to let people know you care. Valentine's day isn't just for couples. It's for you to tell your mom you love her, your friend you care about him and your coworker you appreciate her. It doesn't have to be big and extravagant, just enough to say "I thought about you."