Valentine’s Day is celebrated all over the world: in Britain, Canada, Australia, and of course, the United States. Here, the history comes from a man named Saint Valentine. The holiday was appointed in February to memorialize him on his death day.

The story goes like this: King Claudius II had outlawed marriage in Rome because he believed single men made better soldiers. Valentine, angered by this, secretly married couples in order to save husbands from the war order.
In another story, Valentine had tried to help Romans escape prison where they were beaten and tortured. When he was in prison, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, thus another symbol of love. He wrote letters to her in secret, signing them with “Your Valentine”. This created the tradition of sending cards to your loved ones on the day, celebrating love and affection.

This year, unfortunately, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday. This seems to have ruined a few people’s plans. “We’ll be going to school, because it’s a Monday. And afterward, we have pit orchestra.” Natalie Burson sighed. Meanwhile, her girlfriend Michel’le Kalmashon has a handful of birthdays to celebrate the week of. “Last year, though, we watched Twilight.” 

Others have plans of giving simple gifts during the day, such as chocolate or “cheesy gifts”, as Eliot Suttman has planned for her Valentine’s Day with her boyfriend, Josh Abbott. After school, they have a dinner planned at a surprise location. How romantic!

When you’re single, it’s not as easy to make plans. Many people spend their time at home. Single Man Jacob McGuire (hit him up!) said he will be spending his day at school, and going home afterward. “Probably doing homework,” he said. 

Thankfully for Jacob, there’s a day to celebrate the people he truly loves: his friends! February 13th is Galentine’s Day! Created by the TV show Parks and Recreation in Season 2, Episode 16, it’s a day for “ladies celebrating ladies”, but also a day for celebrating friendship. If you’re someone who has a rough time separating platonic and romantic love, or you have a significant other and tons of friends, this day is for you! Valentine’s Day has historically been about love, so being able to celebrate your friends without the veil of romantic connection is essential. Sometimes friends are just as important as significant others, and they are certainly under-appreciated!