Sweetest Day is awesome

I love being reminded of my California roots, but I'm just as proud of my Midwestern ties. You likely won't find surfers or movie stars in the Midwest, but an inexplicable hometown feeling dominates the area.

I'll happily escape into memories of beer and brats whenever something reminds me of the region.

Like Sweetest Day.

The holiday falls on Saturday (Oct. 15), but I'm not surprised if you haven't heard of it. Sweetest Day is basically an October version of Valentine's Day. It's celebrated mainly in the Midwest, according to Wikipedia.

UPDATE: After writing this post, I got a phone call from my parents, who wanted me to remind you that Sweetest Day started as a chance to give candy to orphans, poor people and similar sectors of society. Learn more here.

I've watched couples in Wisconsin and Illinois exchange candy and balloons in October. Initially, I reacted with a confused "huh?" Then, the holiday kind of grew on me.

Even though it's not as mainstream as Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day is still inevitably criticized as a Hallmark holiday. But celebrating Sweetest Day in a state outside the Midwest -- say, Georgia -- is appealing. It's nice to receive gifts without the pressure to compare them to the roses on your co-workers' desks.

So give Sweetest Day a chance. At the very least, the sweet holiday is a chance to forget the relationship world's sour moments.