I cannot believe that today is Valentine’s Day! 

Whether you are for or against the holiday, there is no denying that love is an amazing thing to celebrate. Even though Valentine’s Day can be hard for some, it all boils down to appreciating the people we love and showing how much we care about them. It could be something as simple as an appreciative note to a friend or a box of chocolates to some family members. 

Of course, getting to wear pink, eat delicious treats and use as many heart emojis as possible is something that I personally take much joy in. It is also so refreshing to have a nation-wide awareness that Valentine’s can be something for friends and family and not just for couples. A popular celebration is “Galentine’s Day” or a celebration of girl friends coming together to have fun with each other. On my TikTokfeed, many women have embraced the idea of celebrating love even if you don’t have a romantic partner and using the holiday as another way of celebrating yourself and embracing self-care. 

The real origins of Valentine’s Day are a little fuzzy, but are singled down to 2 stories. One occurred in 3rd century Rome, where St. Valentine continued to allow marriages when an Emperor outlawed it so that young men could be better soldiers. The other story follows an imprisoned St. Valentine fell in love with his jailor’s daughter and sent love letters to her. The famous expression “From Your Valentine” was said to have originated in one of his letters to her. 

Now, as our society has moved to social media, love letters have declined and Instagram posts are more in trend. But the biggest way of showing your love to someone is definitely through food. Whether you enjoy chocolates, candies, chocolate-covered strawberries or baked goods, many use food as a way of expressing their love to each other. As you get older, flowers, jewelry and little items that you like are also given as gifts. 

One of my favorite ways of celebrating Valentine’s Day is watching romantic movies. Rom-coms are my personal favorites because watching people fall in love with each other with a comedic storyline is just so enjoyable to see. Everyone has their favorites but “Crazy Rich Asians,” “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “She’s the Man,” and “10 Things I Hate About You” are high on my list. 

Of course, Valentine’s Day may be a harsh reminder of a past love, hurtful breakup or a person that just disappointed you. Que the breakup playlists (Taylor Swift and Adele are high contenders on lists) and sad movies that dominate the holiday for certain individuals. If you’re really feeling hurt, the San Antonio Zoo has continued their tradition this year of “Name a Cockroach after your Ex,” and will send you a video of your cockroach being eaten by another zoo animal. That sounds like a pretty successful way to get over someone if you ask me! 

All in all, I hope you can enjoy your Valentine’s Day and hope you get a lot of love from your friends and family! 

Love, Natalie <3