Valentine’s Day: Not Just for Couples
WRITTEN BY: LILA GORDON
It’s a day many people find beautiful. Others find it intimidating. And some find it to be simply another Sunday.
Like New Year’s Eve, Halloween, and birthdays, Valentine’s Day is a day of hype. Boyfriends endeavor to impress their girlfriends and single people rush to find last minute hookups that just might turn into something exciting.
Overall, there always seems to be pressure around Feb. 14.
However, there is no pressure for Temple student Ally Boyd. Boyd and her boyfriend decided to celebrate this holiday at a comedy show on Friday, Feb. 12.
“The day does not actually matter, it’s who you are with and how you feel,” Boyd said.
Boyd and her boyfriend feel that, in their relationship, a lot of days are like Valentine’s.
Ali Laverdiere is a single Temple student. She is working all day, so she does not care about the holiday, she said.
“I think there used to be a lot of pressure in high school,” she said. “Then you grow up and realize it’s great for people who are in relationships and if you are not in one, you just be happy for them and do your own thing.”
Laverdiere is having her best friend come stay with her and that is her celebration.
In the past it has been easy for people to forget that Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love. And not just love between couples, but love between friends as well.
There is a trend on social media like Instagram and Facebook. People post pictures with their best friends saying, “This is the only Valentine I need.” Some followers see these posts and feel that this single person is bitter, but Lavidiere is an example of a person who is not. With age comes grace and acceptance of a day that may not always go as planned, but can be enjoyed regardless.
Last night Tina Burrell, a certified chef, prepared a steak lobster dinner for my roommate Jasmine McKinnon. The two are not in a relationship, but are close friends.
“Jasmine never had a Valentine’s before,” Burrell said. “And I’m her Valentine. And I’m nice.”
It seems that as we grow older, Valentine’s Day has evolved from a day of sadness about a person’s lack of a relationship, to a day of appreciation for the relationships we have. While those with boyfriends and girlfriends have this day to make their partner feel special, everyone else has this day to make their friends happy. Happy Valentine’s Day and now I am off to eat Chinese food with my best friend.
