Every Valentine’s day, pink and red, hearts, chocolates, flowers, and love circulate the air. The holiday originated from the Roman festival of Lupercalia in 476 to mark the start of spring. It evolved into what we know today as Valentine’s day. 

Valentine’s day is a way to celebrate your love for your significant other, friends and family. Some people observe the holiday alone, but there are others who celebrate it in a relationship. With school, sports and homework, students have to adapt to find ways to celebrate. 

Couples must put in work and schedule time for the relationship to work out so that they get the privilege of spending Valentines’ day together. Junior couple Evan Lewis and Ella Kotok who goes to Jewish Day School, both enjoyed celebrating together by watching a movie and eating their favorite fast food meal: McDonald’s. Lewis said, “It is special that since we go to different schools, we can find time to hang out. Being able to celebrate Valentine’s day without the pressure of going to a fancy restaurant is something I value in my relationship. We both agreed that with our busy schedules, we would indulge at home with one of our favorite meals.” 

Senior Nick Jones and junior Gabby Wright agree that having classes together and seeing each other in the hallways is great for their relationship.  They celebrated Valentine’s Day by going out to dinner at Woodmont Grill in Bethesda and then going to Baked Bear for dessert. Jones said, “It’s great to have someone who is dependable that I can count on if I need help.”

Couples also celebrate the holiday over the weekend. Junior Devlin McCarthy and senior Ella Cooper celebrated by going to an Italian restaurant in D.C.. They are continuing the celebration this weekend by hiking in Great Falls. 

Singing Valentine’s are a tradition where the acapella and chorus programs go into classes singing a snippet of a love song to a person. Valentine’s Day isn’t only celebrated by couples; friends at school also celebrate by gifting their friends singing Valentine’s, roses, balloons, and chocolates, all bought from school clubs and organizations. Junior Dani London said, “This year I gave my friend Gillian Berman a singing Valentine to both embarrass her and show her that I care about her. I really enjoyed the experience and will definitely do it again next year.”

Friends also participated in “galantine” dinners, including potlucks or going to a restaurant. Friends are able to celebrate their love for each other during this holiday. Spending time alone on Valentine is not bad, but freshman Lainey Berman and friends agree that spending the holiday together makes the Valentine’s day special. Berman celebrated by dressing in pinks and going to dinner with her friends. 

The day of love is celebrated differently among people, and whether you have a significant other or not, it is great to feel appreciated and loved.