Season of Love: Why Valentine's Is More Than a Day
Valentine’s is a season for meaningful connections and small gestures that can leave a big impact.
Feb 01, 2026
Written by our Founder and Chairman, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
Step into a store this time of year and you can’t miss the changeover — roses, candy, and heart-adorned cards arrived as quickly as the Christmas sales disappeared. That timing isn’t accidental. Valentine’s has grown from a single day into a full-blown season.
It’s also widened in ambition. What began as a holiday centered on romance has become a moment to acknowledge love in all its forms. Sometimes that means gathering friends for a Galentine’s Day lunch. Other times, it’s as simple as wishing a stranger “Happy Valentine’s” the same way we casually offer a “Happy New Year.”
I’ll admit, I’m a fan of the extended season (which probably won’t come as a surprise!). When Valentine’s rituals stretch beyond a single day, they create more chances to reach out and deepen relationships that might otherwise go unmarked.
That widening scope is what gives the season its staying power beyond its square on the calendar. It creates space for gratitude, reconnection, and small gestures that carry an outsized weight.
The root of modern Valentine's
Rumor has it that Valentine’s Day traces back to a secret meeting between the flower, candy, and card industries. Years ago, we — I mean, they — got together and devised a plan to convince the population that love must be proven with flowers and a card.
Jokes aside, traditions don’t last unless they tap into something real. Valentine’s took hold because it gave people a simple way to express care and signal affection. Long before greeting cards and candy aisles, people were already looking for ways to say, you matter to me.
That instinct turns out to be well grounded. As Arthur Brooks recently reminded me, one of the most reliable paths to happiness isn’t spending on ourselves, but spending on others. When we give, we’re not just making someone else feel seen but also reinforcing our own sense of purpose and belonging. The act of choosing someone else, even in a small way, shifts our attention outward and strengthens the bonds that make life feel meaningful.
That’s why Valentine’s works. It gives us permission — and a prompt — to practice generosity in the service of connection. The result is stronger relationships and, often, a lasting lift in our own well-being.
Valentine’s love lessons
The rituals around Valentine’s have offered early lessons in why relationships matter for generations. They’ve taught us how to express ourselves, how to read one another, and how to take the small social risks that connection requires.
I still remember the Valentine’s days of my childhood. In the days leading up to Feb. 14, we carefully cut heart shapes from red construction paper and wrote messages for classmates. After exchanging them, we read and reread what we received, searching for meaning between the lines.
Then came the school dance, complete with decorations, anticipation, and the nervous courage it took to ask someone to dance. It turned out to be excellent preparation for the years that followed.
At home, my mom had her own ritual. Every year, she greeted us with hugs and a box of chocolates. The gesture made the day feel special, but it mattered most because it reflected the care and attention that shaped our family all year long.
As a grandfather, I’ve adapted my mother’s tradition and added a twist of my own. Each year, I send Cheryl’s Cookies to my seven grandchildren, making sure they arrive early so the treats can be enjoyed in the days leading up to Feb. 14. The only requirement is that their parents send back a photo of the kids.
It’s a small ritual, but it carries a big message: You’re loved, and you’re always on my mind. Plus, I get a photo, too!
A nudge in the right direction
I’ve spent a lifetime in the flower-and-candy business, which has given me a close view of how small gestures influence the way people relate to one another. I believe these moments carry more weight than we realize, reaching beyond individual relationships and into the fabric of public life.
That’s the opportunity of the Valentine’s season. It encourages us to notice the people in our lives, to act on the impulse to reach out, and to say the things we’ve been holding onto.
In times like these, that kind of attention can go a long way.
All the best,
Jim
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AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
