Love is in the air, and baby cupid is shooting down his heart-shaped arrow on those wanting to fall in love and experience true love’s kiss. 

However, Valentine’s Day didn’t start with Cupid. The history of Valentine’s Day wasn’t about chocolates, roses, and arrows—it was celebrated as a pagan holiday. 

Although Valentine’s Day shares its name with a martyred Christian saint, according to HISTORY, many historians believe that the holiday is adjunct to the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. Contrary to our modern holiday, Lupercalia was a “bloody, violent and sexually-charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.” 

Connecting chocolates to death isn’t an ideal holiday, but why do we express so much love during this holiday?

Consumer and corporate officials take advantage of these holidays by shoving chocolates down our throats as a sign of love. 

The main question we should really be asking is, “What does Valentine’s day mean to you?” 

Jennifer Garcia is a fourth year psychology major at SF State and spoke about the mental state of health on special occasions.   

“You can tell right away, if you are not in the right state of mind.” said Garcia. “Especially big holidays like Christmas, Valentines day, even Mother’s day, you have to remember there are those who won’t be celebrating the traditional way.” 

Everyone experiences different ways around this culture and how to recognize those who carry love. 

Walking into any Target, Walgreens, and, Trader Joe’s—heck even Whole Foods—and the stereotype of showers of gifts is just flooding with cliche love. 

Marketing is a strategy, that you need to buy or treat your significant other, remembering if you don’t, then you’re a horrible person. But why does it have to be like that?                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Front and center walking down Stonestown Galleria our local Target, makes it known what holiday we should be celebrating. 

“We started putting everything out for Valentines day right after New Years Eve, we usually keep everything until it sells out or we have another holiday,” says Toa, a Target employee. “Right now we are setting up Easter merchandise with our Valentine collections.”