I used to love Valentine’s day when I was younger. Being able to go to the store and pick out all the cutest valentines for my friends, selecting the perfect candy, and writing in my best handwriting, “Love, Kyra”, was one of my favorite times of the year. It was also one of my favorite school days. I would always dress in pink and red, I got to hand out my valentines or put them in our handcrafted mailboxes we made earlier in the week, and enjoy a little holiday party (back in the good old days where teachers could actually bring food into school). I always used to think it was such a sweet holiday, and I would look forward to it every year. Keywords: used to.
Come middle and high school, it just seemed to lose its magic. It became less about love and the celebration of friendships, and more just a standard Hallmark holiday that was exclusive to couples. I know what you’re thinking, and no, this is not coming from a place of single jealousy. I have been and currently am spending this Valentine’s day in a relationship, but I just have never been able to enjoy the holiday like that.
I was slightly reintroduced to my childlike love for it when I started teaching, and am now able to buy cute valentines for my students just like I did for my classmates (I even get some in return sometimes, which is such a nice feeling!). I also enjoy the decorations. Just today, I bought gel window clings that was Valentine’s day-themed. I’m also looking forward to using my new heart-shaped cupcake pan for the next time I bake.
Every time I talk to someone about this, they agree with me that the reminiscent look of Valentine’s day is very nice and that it was always lots of fun in elementary school. I’m not trying to get rid of Valentine’s day dinners and heart-shaped chocolates, but I ask, why can we not also bring back the simpler aspects? This Valentine’s day, try making a couple of cute cards with cheesy jokes and a piece of candy attached and give them to your friends to see how they react. Or, have a small little celebration with some friends with some assorted heart-shaped snacks.