Julia Kane ‘27
Opinions Editor
February 14: The day that is adored by many and loathed by even more. Many people see it as a day only for materialistic people in perfect relationships to celebrate, leaving everyone else to continue waiting until they find the love of their life. Why do we need to buy our loved ones chocolates, flowers, and jewelry galore to provide a surface-level display of our affection on one specific day of the year? Additionally, people’s feelings towards the holiday are frequently charged with jealousy of not having a romantic partner or reminiscent of an ex. From lashing out towards those celebrating or dreading the month of February, its negativity can be expressed in a whole variety of ways. However, although people can have understandable reasons for not celebrating, I am here to show my unwavering support and excitement towards Valentine’s Day, which I’ve embodied for the entirety of my life thus far.
Even before I was of the age to date, my father showed me the holiday’s true meaning, which would stick with me for the rest of my life. Although nothing extravagant or expensive, he would take me out on a “date” to get a milkshake and chicken nuggets, which, as a little girl, I could not be more excited to get ready to go to. In elementary school, my mom and I would consistently work tirelessly on the eve of February 14, making homemade, Pinterest-esque valentines that would impress my whole class the following day. Despite being far less popular than Christmas, I loved receiving cards and candy from my classmates and family members, along with the appealing pink and red aesthetic. As the years went by and I entered middle school, my friends and I started having “Galentines” to celebrate our love for our friendship, as we were all still single. We would dress up in cute outfits, take pictures, and gossip, as middle school girls typically do. At this point in my life, it didn’t matter to me if I had a boyfriend or what my relationship status was. I knew soundly that Valentine’s Day made me happy and that it was a time for me to proudly display love for the cherished people in my life, so that association stuck for years to come.
For the last two years and five months, my boyfriend Aryan and I have been together and eagerly await celebrating Valentine’s Day, despite being in a long-distance relationship at two separate colleges. As someone who knows me unbelievably well, he understands how important Valentine’s Day is to me, not for the price of the gifts he gets me, but for the principle of the holiday. We don’t spend an excessive amount of money on one another but prioritize thoughtful, sentimental gifts and time spent together over anything. As we seldom get to spend a lot of quality time together during the school year due to our busy schedules and different schools, my appreciation for our in-person time together is far greater than it ever was in high school.
Although I am certainly grateful for Aryan’s presence in my life and the celebration of our love on Valentine’s Day, the other components of love remain from distinct times in my life. I’ll be making chocolate-covered strawberries with my friends, making flower bouquets with them (courtesy of the Campus Activities Board), and catching up with my parents and grandparents on the phone on Valentine’s Day. Days in advance, I am planning which pink top to wear to match my Valentine’s Converse sneakers embroidered with tiny red hearts. Valentine’s Day’s value is not for bragging rights about your chic reservation or flashy necklace but rather to love for love itself. I am infatuated with sickly sweet love songs, cheesy poems, films that brim with romance, and the willingness to do anything for someone out of love. Tears swim in my eyes when I read a homemade card, and sentimental thoughts are all-encompassing when my memories are tinted with love. This is why Valentine’s Day means so much to me, not for the holiday’s newfound commercialization but for the sake of love itself.
Featured image courtesy of Times of India
Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28
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