Valentine’s Day is a global holiday that takes place on February 14th. It is a romantic holiday, where lovers express their gratitude through gifts or greetings.

There are many people who love valentines day, but there are also some that may have differing opinions on whether or not it is worth celebrating. It can be an overwhelming, dreadful day full of pressure and high expectations. The day can be filled with elation for others who do have people to celebrate with. 

Chloe Russell, a senior, shared her input on Valentine’s Day, “I think it is worth celebrating because you can make it fun, and it isn’t a boring holiday like others are.” Even if you don’t have a Valentine, there are still ways to enjoy the holiday and make the most out of it.

Chloe also expressed her opinions on Galentine’s Day–a day to celebrate with your girlfriends. Chloe prefers Galentine’s Day because “There is less pressure and there are no expectations or worries that a date has to go well.” Valentine’s day doesn’t have to be boyfriend-girlfriend oriented, there are various ways to make the most out of it and make the holiday worth it.

Others utilize Valentine’s Day to spread love to not just their friends, but to their family as well. Laura Giese, the librarian at Wilsonville, described her favorite part of Valentine’s Day, which is, “Making dinner for my family in the shape of hearts or creating a meal based on hearts and red.” Making dinner is a perfect example of a kind gesture that doesn’t involve giving someone gifts.

Gifts can also be hard, and strenuous; leading to overthinking. It can be hard to determine if someone is going to enjoy the gift you pick out for them, Chloe Russell stated, “Getting people gifts is stressful because I’m scared they aren’t going to like it.”

It is vital to show gratitude and appreciation towards the loved ones in your life, which is Valentine’s Day’s sole purpose. But, is celebrating your relationship once a year enough? Sarah Badger, a senior, asserted, “Why are you waiting for one specific day show appreciation for someone, instead of the rest of the 364 days out of the year.”

February 14th doesn’t have to be the only date to spend quality time with others, but it is a great way to focus on the notion of love and gratitude.