Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day is a holiday that is widely celebrated in the United States. As soon as Christmas is over, most grocery stores become full of things to buy for the holiday; they waste no time at all! There is also a fable that there is a winged man named Cupid, who shoots arrows at unsuspecting humans to bring about a love connection. So it is common to see many items decorated with Cupid, with hearts and with arrows.

February 14th is the day that this holiday is celebrated each year. It is a day that many singles (people not in relationships) dread, because they feel like it is a reminder of their singleness. So, many singles say “happy singleness- awareness day,” or post memes about how single they are, instead of saying “happy Valentine’s day.” 

On the contrary, for couples, it is often a day where they put special effort into displaying love and romance for their partner. The most common colors associated with this holiday are red and pink, so people wear red and pink to commemorate the holiday. This may be something as subtle as pink or red lipsticks being worn, to bright red shoes, and/or a pink or red dress being worn.

In school’s, students from 5 years old to 10 years old, send valentine’s cards to their classmates, and sometimes candies as well. Each card has a “to: and from:” section, and for some this may be one of their first experiences expressing romantic feelings for a classmate. I remember one time sending a valentine’s card when I was 8-years old and trying to erase my name from the “from” section. When the boy received the card, he could still read my name so my secret was out, haha. Many teenagers also have school dances, where they decorate everything with hearts, and other festive decor.

For restaurants, this is a time they are especially busy. It is most common for couples to eat out for the holiday, instead of cooking, to make it feel extra special. Candlelight dinners are also very common, to increase the ambiance of romance. 

For those just beginning to date someone, they may take the person out on a first date to a restaurant on this day, and may decide to start a more serious relationship. Many cakes a desserts are in the form of a heart, or decorated with hearts drawn on with chocolate. The most common gifts to give/receive are flowers, chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries and a card. Red and pink are also colors that many people wear during this day, especially women. You will see bright red and pink lipstick being worn, and dresses of these colors. 

Overall, I think Valentine’s day brings a reminder for couples to not become too busy for romance, and to always display their love for their partner. I think this is something important between any couple on a daily basis, but Valentine’s day is a time the entire nation makes it a point to especially put their love on display.