Two days ago was Valentine’s Day – a holiday that makes some people euphoric and others more reflective. For as long as I can remember, people around me have placed great importance on celebrating significant events.

If someone I care about celebrates, it seems only right to show kindness. In the social code, such gestures carry a lot of meaning. They’re a sign of care, involvement, and a kind of unspoken agreement between people.

But here’s the problem – I’ve never been drawn to these things. I don’t like giving greetings, I can’t stand organizing celebrations, and to be honest, celebrating anything feels rather unnecessary to me. Even when it comes to the people closest to me. And maybe that’s exactly what makes me an odd one out?

Valentine’s Day is just another example of a social ritual that – in my view – doesn’t serve any real purpose. Lovers give each other gifts, exchange sweet words, and spend romantic time together. But does that mean that on all the other days of the year such gestures don’t happen? Do we really need a specific date to show someone how we feel?

And then there’s the ever-present commercialization. Every holiday has become a business. Stores start filling up with red hearts already in January, and advertisements try to convince us that the bigger the bouquet of roses, the greater the love. The message is clear: it’s about quantity, not quality. So where, in all this, is the space for genuine emotion?

Still, I have to admit that life sometimes changes our views. One day, my wonderful wife smiled at me and asked — why have you never given me flowers on Valentine’s Day? Well, since then, every year, I bring her flowers! And maybe that’s the whole philosophy behind it.