I hate holidays. This is perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it.

I don't mean to undermine the validity of celebration and family time, which I think is a valuable part of familial life, but I feel that it's simply unnecessary to celebrate every family gathering with a five dollar greeting card and some useless, undesirable gift from your neighborhood knick-knack shoppe.

I feel like I should first explain the concept of a so-called "Hallmark holiday". Hallmark holidays are holidays with no basis other than quarter sales' increases and dependent upon the mass purchases of a consumer base. Think Valentine's Day, for example.

We as a culture celebrate Valentine's Day as a day to commemorate or honor your love of a significant other.... but shouldn't that happen without the purchase of cheesy greeting cards and overpriced rose bouquets? Celebrating your love is fine, in fact, it's exceptional, but why even bother if it only happens on a scheduled calendar date to cash in on your affection?

Again, think of all the days we have in familial celebration as a culture. Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, etc. Sure, all of these family members are celebration-worthy in their own individual way, but is the best way to show your love and appreciate really on one day of the year with an overpriced singing card and some vaguely personal gift? I think not.

There's nothing wrong with partaking in these celebrations.

It's hard not to, with everything we see in advertisements, on store shelves, and online centered around some sort of sales boosting celebration, but you have to admit some absurdity in its practice. Why are we buying cards to express our joy and affection? Why do we celebrate some of the most important relationships we have only one, calendar determined day of the year?

I think these actions speak less of our humanity, and more of our undying commitment to cultural standards. Is the best way to celebrate a loved one by running to Walmart on 11:46 the night before to buy the last card in stock to share for their designated holiday? Or is it showing that affection in ways that transcend a pay period?

Celebrating the relationships in our lives is an important way to connect with the people we love, but that should not revolve around calendar days. Even more traditional holidays get wrapped up in the marketing mania, with all of winter being a shopping extravaganza and spring being a time for bunnies and eggs of sweets and treats.

Taking a day to celebrate a loved one is a-okay, so long as the reason transcends the season and the meaning behind our joyous celebrations don't get lost in a spinning tower of greeting cards.