“Roses are red, violets are blue, here’s a cheesy Valentine just for you.” According to the History Channel, nearly 150 million cards are exchanged on Valentine’s Day alone. Hallmark research tells us that over 50 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight.

Today, Americans spend up to $20 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day each year, buying flowers, candy, and even jewelry . This holiday, that was once about love and writing letters to loved ones became an opportunity for businesses to make tons of money.

History Channel also explained the history of the date: Valentine’s Day started out in Rome as a Pagan fertility festival, and it wasn’t until the 1300’s that the 14th of February was seen as a holiday related to love and romance (they chose that date because it was believed to be the beginning of mating season for birds). In the 15th century, it became common to write love notes and letters to give out that day; in the 17th century, Great Britain began the tradition of exchanging cards, and during the 1840s, the U.S. began the first mass production of Valentine’s cards.

Some argue that Valentine’s Day is not completely lost to consumerism just yet. Things that we consider cheesy have been around for a long time, winning people’s hearts. The famous pickup lines like, “You’re like a broken staircase; you make me go head over heels” or “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” are just musts in a typical Valentine’s Day. Some people don’t admit but they love it. The truth is, they’ve been around forever for a reason. Your grandfather could have won your grandmother with the same phrase you’ll use to get a girl. Why? Because cheesy gestures are most people’s guilty pleasure, and they’ve worked for what seems like ages.

It is part of a tradition, the Hallmark Cards and the chocolate, the flowers and the jewelry. Valentine’s Day is known to everyone as the day of the cheesiness overload. However just because something is cheesy doesn’t mean it doesn’t come from the heart. Just because it isn’t original doesn’t mean there wasn’t time and effort put into it. Next time you think something is cheesy, don’t ignore it or disdain it; just accept it as a lovable gesture from someone that thought of you that day.