Valentine’s Day has been a traditional holiday of love in the United States of America, France, Britain, Canada, Argentina, South Korea, Mexico, and Australia. The tradition started when a Roman priest named Valentine was beheaded on February 14 for marrying young men who were suitable to become soldiers. The Roman emperor Claudius II thought that being married made men weaker. So, Claudius forbade any man fit to be a soldier to marry. Valentine refused to follow the Emperor’s law and married men who were soldier-bound.
It was significantly more about the public grand display of your love for your significant other by buying chocolate, flowers, and jewelry. In elementary school, it is most people’s first memory of Valentine’s Day. The day before, children decorate a bag or box so classmates can put in Valentine’s Day cards or chocolate. Everyone gets a card from everyone, sometimes with a personalized note attached or just a generic card. Today’s expectations have significantly differed from when people were in elementary school. Today, the attitude towards Valentine’s Day is less about how grand the day is. It is more about the small shout-outs of appreciation and doesn’t have to be limited to your significant other.
Londyn Frazier, a sophomore at Pennridge High School, uses Valentine’s Day as a day to treat herself. She says, “Yeah, why not? Maybe dinner? Get your nails done? Anything you can do to celebrate yourself, or anything you can do that you enjoy.” Allyson Lomax, a senior at Pennridge High School, says, “You should; it could be a great way to celebrate and show yourself love.” Another way people celebrate is on February 13, called “Galentine’s Day.” Galentine’s Day was initially known as “Mistress Day,” when unfaithful men indulged in their affairs before spending the 14th with their wives and girlfriends. Women have reclaimed this day as a day to celebrate their friendships. Allyson celebrates Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s Day. Her opinion on Galentine’s Day is, “Yes!! I love Galentine’s Day; it’s an amazing way to celebrate my friends and close ones. This would only be my third or fourth year celebrating, and it’s been nothing but fun… Just going out to dinner, lunch, or a cute brunch date. Some friends have also gotten me small flowers or chocolates, which made me feel special.” Valentine’s Day is still popular for showing love to significant others. Angela Schoettle, a teacher at Pennridge High School, doesn’t take Valentine’s Day as seriously as she used to when she first started dating her now husband, “Flowers, dinners, chocolates. It wasn’t on the exact day either, just something around that time to make it extra special.” Now, they acknowledge the holiday and focus on getting their kids candy.
Whether people celebrate with friends or family, Valentine’s Day reminds family and friends of their loved ones. Life gets so busy that people tend to forget the ones who mean most to them. Don’t forget to throw some extra love and maybe candy to the ones you cherish this upcoming holiday.
