Valentine’s Day was February 14 and students at Lambert were excited about their plans to spend the day with their special someone or just hang out with some friends. While this day is popular with a lot of people, it is often debated whether Valentine’s Day is worth the value students place in it.
For most of history, Valentine’s Day has been largely associated with more romantic relationships. Because of this, many people believe that this day is very exclusive and restricts who can celebrate it and who can’t. According to sophomore Diya Pramanik, the way Valentine’s Day is celebrated has changed from when students were in elementary school and its exclusivity has only risen as they grow older.
“It’s because it’s not for everyone,” Pramanik explained. “When you were in elementary school, Valentine’s Day was really hyped up because you would give everyone candy and everyone would get a chance to participate. But after that, it’s exclusively for people who are in relationships or have somebody”
When students were younger, Valentine’s Day was more about making sure everybody was included in activities, like giving out candy and Valentine Cards.
Another aspect of Valentine’s Day that has been changed is the large influence social media has on it. While it is fun to post on platforms like Instagram or Tiktok, many have noticed that people have started to focus more on making their Valentine’s day presentable on social media. This has led to an increase in the social pressures of the holiday.
“There’s so many Valentine’s Day posts,” Pramanik noted. “Whenever you get asked out with a poster, everyone else posts it and everyone just talks about it.”
Though social media has increased excitement about the holiday, it has also put more pressure on creating a good image of relationships.
While people still embrace Valentine’s Day for its original purpose, others see it as an opportunity to celebrate other kinds of relationships as well. For example, Galentine’s Day is an unofficial holiday on Feb. 13, 2026 dedicated to celebrating female friendships. According to Pramanik, while Valentine’s Day is for celebrating one person, its meaning and value should expand past that.
“I guess it’s about having that one person,” she said. “But I feel like Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be an excuse to celebrate that one person, because if they really matter to you then celebrate them whenever you can.”
Despite the large shift in the perspectives on Valentine’s Day, it is still a well celebrated holiday. As students continue redefining what the holiday means to them, its importance may change from traditions to personal interpretations.
