This Valentine's Day, let's share the love around

Whether it's your rejection of crass commercialism, or a more personal sense of trauma related to a failed relationship, a missed opportunity or a deep sense of loneliness, Valentine's Day, which falls this Saturday, is an uncomfortable trigger.

It's also a time for excitement, warmth and, of course, love - a great many people around the world can expect flowers or other tokens of affection, or the corresponding dopamine hit that comes from giving a well-targeted gift, and fulfilling one's romantic duty right on schedule.

Nowadays, and likely throughout the lives of most readers, the day - and indeed the weeks leading up to the day - is signified by vast shelves of heart-themed gifts, usually in red or pink.

The motif extends beyond just cards, chocolates and roses; it's on pyjamas, jewellery and kitsch little toys. Restaurants and bars hold themed nights that revolve around dates, and it can be hard to get a booking otherwise.

Even streaming platforms include romantic lineups in its curated offerings; this week, for example, Netflix might be gently nudging you towards Sweet Home Alabama, Sleepless in Seattle or The Holiday to get you in the mood.

In other words, Valentine's Day is hard to ignore, no matter what your feelings are on the matter. It is, conversely, very easy to deride and dismiss.

It's a commercially-driven event that means little in the yearly line-up of similarly shop-driven traditions - back to school, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween.

Only Christmas and Easter are ingrained in our calendar as actual holidays, a part of our cultural fabric that usually involves, at the very least, time off work and an excuse to catch up with family.

But what if there was another way to look at it?

Valentine's Day has been associated with romantic love at least since the 14th century, but many cultures view it as a time to express a more general sense of love and affection - for friends, family and neighbours.

It's also a happy and innocent tradition, one rooted in love, warmth and generosity. Viewed this way, it's mean-spirited to dismiss it out of hand.

With that in mind, and given the dire state of the world and the daily news cycle, it might be a good time this year to use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to show love - of any kind - to anyone around you who might need it.

Perform a random act of kindness, help a neighbour, have your children's friends to stay, invite relatives over for afternoon tea (the most benign and easy-to-cater-for social invitation).

Donate to a charity or leave a nice review on the website of a business you recently used (and were impressed by).

Or just stick with tradition, and express love and appreciation to your significant other.

It is, at the end of the day, a harmless tradition that has its roots in something positive, never mind that it has long been cynically exploited for commercial gain.

But what in this world hasn't turned commercial? Anything and everything we each hold dear has likely, in some way or another, been co-opted into the capitalist cause, from art and literature to gardening and child-rearing.

Why not embrace this one day wholeheartedly, in the spirit in which it was originally intended?

It may well be preferable to giving in to the reflexive shudders of disdain at the sight of so much harmless pink and red.