It’s getting close to Feb. 14, 2016, and you know what that means: loads of people complaining and whining about what a terrible, dumb, corporate, fake holiday Valentine’s Day is. Overpriced chocolate and flowers, stress about gifts being good enough, whether or not you’re in a relationship, constant reminders of how lonely and desperate you are for affection, if you’re single... No matter what, it’s just a negative holiday, right?

Actually, it's not. You’re probably just making it that way.

While you may have some traumatic memory of the boy in third grade throwing away your valentine, the day itself isn’t an evil holiday. Here’s a quick guide on how to make Valentine’s Day not cliché and not terrible whether you’re single or in a relationship.

1. If you're in a relationship.

“You shouldn’t need a day to appreciate your partner; I always do!” How noble of you.

This is a pretty common refrain among cynics of the holiday. While it’s nice to imagine that every single weeknight is spent declaring your love and taking your significant other out to fancy dinners, there are quite a few limitations on, “Treating every day like its Valentine’s Day,” like having the budget for romantic nights out every night, or room in the schedule for it. Simply put, life gets in the way of time for romance, and love and relationships aren’t built on 24/7 romance anyway; they’re built on compatibility, friendship, physical attraction, trust and companionship, as well as romance. Romance can, once in a while (or often, depending on what your relationship is), prove another important part of a relationship, but it’s not something that needs to happen every single day in a mature one. It’s something that can be enjoyed on special occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries, and, say, the holiday specifically meant for celebrating romance with your partner.

People complain about V-Day being corny or cliché, which really is only the fault of the people in the relationship, not the holiday itself. If you’re sick of things that seem corny or cliché or overly typical, like romantic dinners at nice places or buying roses, do things that are unique to your relationship that define you as a couple. If you’re into rock climbing, go rock climbing together. If you like music, go to a concert together. Find your version of romance within your relationship, and enjoy the occasion.

2. If you're not in a relationship.

If you’re single, there’s always the option of enjoying the day in an unconventional way. Leslie Knope has already set the standard for groups of female friends to enjoy each other’s company:

Similarly, some of my rowing teammates and I are planning a Valentine’s Day brunch together after practice. If you’re looking for something else to do with a group of your male friends, I always (do not legally) recommend sparkler bombs or other forms of explosives. Just find some way to enjoy the day with your close friends. You don’t need a significant other to enjoy the day with people you love.