Flowers sway in shop windows, ready to be picked as a symbol of love. Sweet love songs loop through restaurants, with tables for two. Social media is filled with picture-perfect posts of couples together with roses and candlelight. This is the one time of year when someone can truly show their appreciation and care for those around them. 

Valentine’s Day is often seen as a day to celebrate love for significant others. However, not everybody has that special someone. Valentine’s Day can feel inescapable, but it doesn’t have to feel lonely. 

There are many things people can do to take care of themselves during this holiday. Students believe that Valentine’s Day should be focused less on relationships and more on connections with others around them. They shared some ways people can still enjoy this holiday without a date. 

Chloe Fehring (9) shared how her view of Valentine’s Day has changed as she has grown older. 

“When I was in elementary school, I loved giving candy and treats to my friends, and then as I got older, I realized it’s more of a romantic holiday, you give it to somebody that you love and care for,” Fehring (9) said. 

Fehring (9) also shared what she believes is the true meaning of Valentine’s Day.

“The main thing about the holiday is that it brings joy to others, and so having Valentine’s Day with your family is a great way to show them that you care, even if you can’t say it every day,” Fehring (9) said.

There are a multitude of activities students can do either by themselves or with their friends and family. 

Preston Borchardt (9) shared some ways students can enjoy Valentine’s Day, simply focusing on themselves.

“You can watch movies, and there’s always good Valentine’s Day candy in stores,” Borchardt (9) said. 

Morgan Piccirillo (10) shares how social media can increase the pressure of having a date on Valentine’s Day, and how she deals with it. 

“Social media can make Valentine’s Day harder by showing pictures and videos of how others spent their Valentine’s Day. I can deal with that pressure by just staying off social media on Valentine’s Day, it’s kind of like a win-win scenario, you don’t gotta watch it, don’t gotta feel it,” Piccirillo (10) said.

These students shared several activities students can do with people that matter to them or even themselves. Fehring (9) shares what she has learned from Valentine’s Day as she has grown and matured. 

“You don’t need a boyfriend or girlfriend to make you happy,” Fehring (9) said.