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UVA | Life > Experiences

Carrying the Spirit of Valentine’s Day Through the Rest of the Year

Elizabeth Parsons Student Contributor, University of Virginia
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

I love Valentine’s Day—and you should too.

A day full of pink, red, hearts, candies, chocolates, flowers, teddy bears, and beautiful cards—it is like all my favorite things coalesced into a singular day of love and joy. I look forward to this day, and my heart swells at the sight of all the Valentine’s Day goodies lining the aisles of Target. In fact, I put a Valentine’s Day garland in my living room as soon as I moved back into my apartment after winter break because I simply could not wait to let the festivities begin. As a lover of stationery, I especially loved Valentine’s Day cards with a witty pun this year, which I eagerly sent to my favorite people— adorned with heart stickers that were bursting with glitter on the envelope, representing my overflowing love for Valentine’s Day.

small hearts flatlay on animal skin rug
Element5 Digital

However, it is not uncommon to hear people complaining about how much they despise Valentine’s Day. Whether they chalk it up to a marketing ploy designed to get us to spend money on cards and other treats, or they cite loneliness as a reason to dislike this beautiful holiday, these feelings against Valentine’s Day are usually very strong. Frankly, these sentiments make me feel sad, so I am here to call for a way for us to reimagine Valentine’s Day.

It is my goal to encourage others to view Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to not only show appreciation and love for all those in your life, but also to view it as a holiday of self-love. Buy yourself your favorite chocolates, enjoy the shades pinks and reds, and spend a day indulging in all your favorites. After all, you can always be your own Valentine—it is a way of reclaiming the holiday!

As Valentine’s Day passes us, let’s carry the spirit of Valentine’s Day and the spirit of self-love through the rest of the year. Self-love and appreciation are necessary to support us through the highs and lows of the year. Whether or not it’s Valentine’s, you can always find little ways to reward yourself for all you are doing to try your best. A bouquet of flowers from Trader Joe’s is a fool-proof pick-me-up, and buying a coffee on your way to class can make getting out of bed a bit more bearable.

Sending love to you!

XOXO,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Parsons

UVA '25

Elizabeth Parsons is a staff writer at the University of Virginia’s Her Campus chapter. She joined the team during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Elizabeth is from Virginia Beach, VA. As a fourth-year student with a passion for reading and writing, she is studying both English and French. She is also a Senior Associate of The Cavalier Daily’s Life Desk, which focuses on content specific to student life at UVA — including features of student events and organizations, food-related articles, student columns, and top 10 lists.

Beyond Her Campus at UVA, Elizabeth loves sipping oat milk lattes, strolling through bookstores, reading the latest issue of The New Yorker, playing Wordle, and watching reality TV. She is always looking for book recommendations, and she loves talking about her latest reads. After spending the summer after her second-year in London, she dreams of moving to London one day.

She is looking forward to another year with Her Campus and to sharing a mix of all her passions with readers. From the best lip gloss to her tips for studying abroad, Elizabeth is excited to share about all the things that matter to her.