Ah, Valentine’s Day. The sing-song-sweet sound of the romantic celebration’s moniker drizzles down lovers’ spines like chocolate on strawberries. Of all the holidays in the year, this one makes for the most sensual, the most arousing, the most fun. It’s the chocolate of Easter without the stomachache of Halloween. It’s all the fireworks of the Fourth of July with the relaxation of Labor Day. Like St. Patrick’s Day you’re bound to get lucky, and like Christmas, someone is going to stuff your stocking.

But past the romantic associations and beyond the Hallmark cards, Necco Sweethearts, FTD flowers or whatever Joe Schmoe Corporation you think secretly plots holidays for the padding of its wallet, Valentine’s Day is the “Big Stick” diplomacy of the romantic world. That check on your calendar surrounded by little hearts with arrows also functions as a check on your laziness. Though some complain the pomp and circumstance of the day is unnecessarily forced, without it, lovers might make excuses never to shower their love on their love. Naturally, the spirit of the Valentine’s Day should be kept throughout the year, but the lack of a driving, throbbing impetus to prove our passion would probably transform us into regular Scrooges.

Besides teaching us to hold its spirit dear in our hearts, Valentine’s Day teaches us to hold each other – tightly, if not divinely. It is, after all, almost a moral obligation – and I’ll admit a damn fine excuse – to boogey down, mattress dance, launch missiles, crash the custard truck, perform ye ole rumpy pumpy, and dance the horizontal polka on this fine, beautiful day.

So please, regardless of persuasion, angst against Hallmark or Facebook relationship status, please, enjoy this holiest of lovers’ days.

Daily Nexus University Editor Kaitlin Pike hopes her boyfriend will use “Big Stick” diplomacy this Valentine’s Day.