When I ask my friends what their favorite holiday is, I am usually met with the typical answer of Christmas or Halloween. I disagree. I am a firm believer that Valentine’s Day is the best holiday to exist.Â
Valentine’s Day is my Super Bowl. I am obsessed with the pink decorations, the hearts, and the endless lineup of cute romcoms. From the moment Target swaps its winter clearance for pastel candy and heart-shaped boxes, I am ready. While some people see a commercialised holiday, I see some much needed bursts of color in an otherwise gloomy February. Â
My love for the holiday came about as a kid. My mom was a total Pinterest mom, before being a Pinterest mom was even a thing. Every February 14th felt like a mini event in our house, from heart-shaped pancakes before school, the kitchen table decked out in pink, and little notes tucked in our backpacks next to a box of conversation hearts.Â
It wasn’t about romance; it was all about the celebration. Love was something you shared with everyone, your siblings, your pets, and your classmates. It was one day a year where being cringe or extra wasn’t just allowed, it was encouraged!
I remember walking to school with a giant box of Valentine’s with my photo on it and giving it to every single person in my class. Didn’t matter if it was my 4th-grade crush or best friend; everyone in that room was walking away with a picture of my face on a box of conversation hearts.
The great romantic rebrand
Somewhere along the way, Valentine’s Day got rebranded as a holiday exclusively for couples. Now, when I tell people Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday, they almost always assume that I must be in a relationship. And when I’m not, I always hear people say, “Valentine’s Day just reminds me that I’m single.”Â
But to me, that idea is soooo outdated. Somewhere between the elementary school candy grams and the high-pressure world of college dating culture, we lost the plot. As kids, we’re taught that Valentine’s Day is about love in any form. Yet, as we get older, that meaning has shrunk down to finding the perfect dinner reservation and Instagram-worthy bouquets.Â
We’ve turned a day of joy into a day of performance. If you have a partner, you’re stressed about the perfect gift. If you don’t, you’re expected to spend the day in sweatpants and feel lonely. Why did we let the most fun holiday on the calendar become a source of anxiety?
Ironically, I feel like Valentine’s Day is more fun when you’re single. There’s no pressure to plan the perfect date or find the gift that perfectly encapsulates your relationship status. Instead, it becomes about intentional love, showing up for those who make your life feel full. Your friends. Your roommates. Yourself.
When you remove the romantic expectations, you’re left with the best parts: the aesthetic, the treats, and the people who have been there for you through every situationship and midterm meltdown. It’s a day to celebrate the platonic soulmates who make college life bearable.
Growing up, Valentine’s Day was big in our house, not because of romance, but because of effort. My mom always reminded my sister and me that Valentine’s Day should never be about huge gifts, but that doing something small and thoughtful matters most.Â
That’s the energy we need to bring back to college. In a world of read receipts and liking stories, we’ve forgotten how much a physical, tangible gesture means. We need to lean into the analog love, the kind that is not blasted on social media and requires a little extra thought and effort.
reclaiming the magic
This year, I told my whole house that we’re reclaiming Valentine’s Day. We’re dropping off photo valentines and boxes of Sweethearts to our friends’ houses. We’re covering all our walls in pink and wearing heart-covered shirts to class without irony. We’re writing handwritten valentines to the people who make our lives brighter.
Because that’s what Valentine’s used to be: playful, creative, and full of joy.
So if you’ve written off Valentine’s Day as a couples-only holiday, this is your chance to flip the script and try it the kid way. Host a Galentine’s Day craft night. Make the viral paper heart chain you saw on TikTok. Chef up some heart-shaped pancakes for your housemates. Write all your friends’ letters telling them why you love them. Buy the cheesy decorations. Lean into the pink.Â
We spend so much of our college years worrying about our future careers, our grades, and our status. We deserve a day that is purely, 100% about the people who make us happy. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to remind you of what you don’t have. It can remind you of everything that you do.
This February 14th, don’t wait for a bouquet. Be the person who gives one.