by Marissa Muller, Abbey Road student reporter
It’s that time of year again. Valentines season. This is the month where girlfriends and boyfriends will shower one another with countless gifts. There will be chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates, cookies, decadent food arrangements and more treats. On top of that there are the exchanging of jewelry, teddy bears, valentines, and flowers. Couples will gush on how in love they are and those who are single will run around saying that Valentine’s is nothing but a Hallmark invention.
No matter what situation you are in, it is going to make you think about your life. These thoughts can vary widely- from how much weight will I gain if I eat the whole cookie platter to does she really love me? And that is one of the best things about this holiday season. It really makes you look inside of yourself. But also what I love?
The weeks after Valentine’s Day. The chocolate that had been over priced and decorated with hearts and pink packaging will now go on sale for insanely cheap prices. And cheap food is always something that makes a college student happy. Through my life so far, I have seen four phases of Valentine’s Day.
Starting with the young years (1-6). This is when you are your parents Valentine exclusively. You receive cute little bears holding hearts and they cuddle with you all day.
Next comes the ages 7-13 where Valentine’s Day is all about spending it with your fellow classmates. Those were the glory days. Everyone would receive bags of candy and cute little notes from everybody. It was typically even a class wide holiday- with food to eat and fun to be had.
Next comes the darkest Valentine’s days: The junior high and high school years. Here it does not matter who your valentine is or how much you love them, it is all about quantity. You MUST have the largest teddy bear, most amount of roses, chocolate, and more. It becomes a sheer competition of who can accumulate the most stuff. Next, comes the rather confusing and turbulent University years. You have those who are in the relationships where they have met their future someone, so they spend it exactly how your parents would. A nice meal out, kind words exchanged, and maybe a small gift.
Then, there are the- Anti Valentiners- who will do whatever is possible to not celebrate the holiday. And then there are the rest of us. And we revert back to the glory days. There is something about college that brings out the inner child in you. Childhood valentines are exchanged, everyone gets candy, and everyone participates in it together. Even some professors give out Valentines to their classes. It is as if we all celebrate one last moment before the serious valentines come in the future. So whatever it is you are celebrating; whether it be the after day sales, collections of stuff, or serious love: I hope you have a great February.