This Valentine’s Day, Lake Stevens Vikings will celebrate in several ways. From gifts to loved ones to Galentine’s parties, students share their love this month.
According to our poll, 85% of Vikings celebrate Valentine’s Day, whether it be with friends, family or a romantic partner.
A History of Valentine’s Day:
Valentine’s Day dates back to ancient Rome, where the mid-February festival of Lupercalia celebrated the coming of spring.
The holiday later became associated with St. Valentine, a Christian martyr who, according to legend, performed secret marriages for soldiers forbidden to wed.
By the Middle Ages, poets began romanticizing the day, linking it to courtly love.
Over time, Valentine’s Day evolved into a celebration of romance, with the exchange of love notes, flowers and gifts, which became increasingly popular in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Friendship:
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with friends is a popular activity among LSHS students, with 55.9% saying they celebrate with friends. These activities could include giving gifts or partaking in the ever-growing popularity of a ‘Galentine’s’ party, where friends gather to make crafts and share their love while snacking on themed foods and drinks.
“Normally my friends and I would get together and do, like, a Galentine’s Day, with crafts and everything,” sophomore Lucy Gray said.
Valentine’s Day doesn’t necessarily have to be centered around romantic love, as sharing your heart with the friends around you can be just as, if not more, joyous.
Family:
Another way Vikings spend Valentine’s Day is with their family.
“With my family, we usually go out to eat, like fro-yo, or get food from Costco and make it at home,” junior Avryn Flores said.
Respondents from our poll shared how they celebrate with a dinner out, a movie night or gifting chocolates or cards to one another.
“One year, my mom got me a heart-shaped waffle iron,” Gray said.
Romance:
The traditional course of action among Valentines is to spend it with a significant other, with a date night, chocolates, flowers, cards or a homemade Valentine.
Single or not, there is always a way to share love and appreciation for someone. Dressing in reds and pinks or sending a quick text or note are ways to share love with others year-round.
