Love is in the Air with Valentine’s Day Approaching

By Ridimerd Diaz-Ramirez | Published February 9, 2023

Love, love, love. Who doesn’t love love? Valentine’s Day, celebrated every year on Feb. 14, is love day. The day couples celebrate their love for one another and honor their relationship. This is also the day when many choose to celebrate their love for a family member or a friend. 

Avni Shridhar and Kristin Hsu, in their article, “Should We Celebrate Valentine’s Day?” said, “Valentine’s Day is what you make of it, so it’s for anyone and everyone to celebrate! The idea of Valentine’s Day has completely evolved, as it’s become a day to celebrate love as a whole, not just with one other person.”

College students tend to have busy schedules with classes and full-time or part-time jobs. Balancing a relationship in college is really hard especially when that relationship is long-distance, it seems to be a lot. 

That raises the question, when do they have the time to celebrate such special occasions? And how do they celebrate it? 

Valentine’s Day is celebrated by many but not by all. Students leave home for university miles away from their partners. They are then faced with the challenges of trying to organize a successful distant lovers’ day with their significant other. 

Madison Castillo, a sophomore majoring in early childhood education said, “to make it work a lot of communication is needed, at least once a day.”

Castillo said, with a long-distance relationship it comes down to a lot of reassurance and finding time for each other, like trying to see each other at least every other weekend. 

“It depends on how bad you want it,” Castillo said.

She also mentioned that while last year she did celebrate Valentine’s Day with her significant other coming down to surprise her, this year they will have to wait until the following week, due to both having tight schedules. 

Leah Gause, a freshman working on her earth science/environmental science degree, said she and her boyfriend have been together for a year now and while she decided to go to school up North and live on campus, he stayed in their hometown, Trenton, NJ. 

“We maintain our relationship because he comes to see me about every two weeks,” Gause said. “For Valentine’s Day, we are going to get an Airbnb together that weekend, go to the Jersey Garden Mall, and go out to eat.” 

Celebrating this special day can be different for everyone. Long-distance relationships can have a bit of a harder time celebrating this day, but many find a way to make it work one way or another. 

While some may not necessarily spend the lovers’ holiday with a significant other, there are other loved ones in their family to celebrate the day with. Being single doesn’t mean being left out of the lover’s holiday, as some stated it is not only about couples. 

Joshua Handy, a sophomore majoring in accounting said since he is single, he will be spending time with his mom, getting her some flowers, and taking her out along with his brothers. 

“This day will be all about family time,” Handy said. 

While some students battle the challenges of a long-distance relationship and some are single on the lover’s holiday and choose to spend it with family and friends, others are coupled up and are waiting to be asked, “will you be my valentine?”

Ashley Palmer, a junior majoring in psychology, said she expects her boyfriend to ask her to be his Valentine. She also mentioned that her birthday is on Feb. 10 and that they will be celebrating both occasions with a special dinner. 

Likewise, Allison Macias, a junior working on her marketing degree, said this Valentine’s Day she will be spending the day with her boyfriend and enjoying a rooftop dinner with him. 

Regardless of how people choose to celebrate or view the lover’s holiday, whether it is with family, friends, or a significant other, it is all about what makes the individual, in this case, happy. 

There are so many ways to celebrate this occasion and it is evident that everyone chooses the one that best suits their current situation. In the end, it is all about being surrounded by love because that is what this day is all about.

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