When most people hear the word “valentines”, they think of romance: sparks flying and couples exchanging gifts. However, not everyone spends Valentine’s Day with that one special person. FHN junior Anh Lu, for example, thinks Valentine’s Day should be more about spending time with best friends.
This year for Valentine’s Day, I’ll probably just have Galentine’s Day with my BFF,” Lu said. “Valentine’s has never really been that fun for me because I’ve never had anyone to be excited with, but this year, I have a BFF to spend the day with.”
Some people even consider Valentine’s Day to be a family holiday. Logan Hawkins, a senior at FHN, believes that regular Valentine’s Day activities can still be enjoyable without a significant other.
“I spend time with my family and enjoy getting and giving them chocolate,” Hawkins said. “It differs [from regular Valentine’s traditions] because I don’t have a significant other to celebrate with, but it’s just relaxing because I get to enjoy more time with my family.”
Some students like to mix the two. Senior Ayah Ramadan loves to spend time with both her friends and family for Valentine’s Day.
“I usually make [Valentine’s Day] into kind of a Galentine’s Day where I hang out with all my friends and close family,” Ramadan said. “Most people focus on their romantic relationships where I value my platonic friendships a lot more.”
Some people may think it’s miserable or boring to not have someone romantic to love on Valentine’s Day, but before getting sad seeing couples exchanging gifts in the halls, remember the stories of these FHN students.
“Even though I don’t have a ‘partner’, Valentine’s is pretty fun,” Ramadan said. “I get to hang out with my friends and family that mean a lot to me and make a day out of it.”
