Chocolates, candies, flowers, cards, and other tokens of love—everybody knows that these gifts are usually given out on Feb. 14, also known as Valentine’s Day. But is Valentine’s Day really the holiday to celebrate love and relish in the people we love, or has it turned into a day companies use to earn millions of dollars off of Valentine’s Gifts? Is Valentine’s Day a holiday that is necessary to be celebrated every year?

Some people enjoy having a day dedicated to celebrating their loved ones. Freshman Erica Edgar shared her perspective on Valentine’s Day.

“Valentine’s Day is just about the people that you love, and being able to spend time with them,” Edgar stated. “[My favorite part is] probably getting to see loved ones, I guess, and getting to spend time with them.”

Edgar also explained that being able to dedicate time to loved ones is the reason why she enjoys celebrating Valentine’s Day.

“I like it personally because I have a lot of people I love and I think it’s nice to be able to have a day that celebrates our time together,” Edgar said. “But I know a lot of people that don’t like it whenever they don’t feel as loved as other people do.”

However, Edgar’s perspective on Valentine’s day wasn’t always so positive.

“So when I was younger, I used to think it was cool, because I could hang out with my family, but then again I was also grossed out because my parents were all like ‘I love you,’” Edgar shared. “Then I started to not like it when I was younger, ‘cuz I was like ‘Ah, this is stupid, this has no point.’ But now I’m getting older, and I actually start to love more people. It’s nice because you get to celebrate being with them and stuff.”

Even though Edgar enjoys the holiday, she believes there is still room for improvement.

“[If I could change one thing, it would] probably the requirement of ‘Oh, you need to get a boxed thing of chocolate and flowers,’ because you can do other stuff rather than just getting the stereotypical gifts,” Edgar explained, expressing her irritation about a certain Valentine’s Day tradition. Regardless, Edgar still finds Valentine’s Day to be an exciting day.

For others, Valentine’s day is more like a thorn in their side, a holiday that they prefer not to partake in or celebrate. Freshman Ella George, for example, would rather forget about Valentine’s Day.

“[My initial feelings on Valentine’s Day are] unease and [dis]comfort. Valentine’s just generally just makes me feel uncomfortable,” George stated.

Part of the reason why George feels so uncomfortable on Valentine’s Day is how the holiday is celebrated. She does not mind the cards, flowers, or candies given out on this day. But she does mind that each gift is given out so publicly.

“My least favorite part of Valentine’s day is probably how public it is. I really don’t like that. [If I could change one thing,] it wouldn’t be such a public holiday, it would be more of a private thing, within relationships and families,” George added.

Despite that, George still believes that her perspective on Valentine’s Day might change, once she graduates from high school.

“I think high school has a lot to do with the uncomfortableness of Valentine’s Day,” George said, explaining that her negative feelings towards the holiday have nothing to do with the gifts given or the manifestations of love. “But the thing is, I feel like if I wasn’t in high school, and everything wasn’t so public—if it was just dating someone in college, I think, yeah, my view might change.”

But there are ways to make Valentine’s Day more comfortable for the people who dislike the holiday, one of which is changing the holiday norms.

“I think [people] that do things on Valentine’s Day should just do those things every day. You can surprise whoever you’re with gifts whenever you want. There are so many preset expectations on Valentine’s Day that could strain a relationship,” George said, giving insight on her perspective on fixing the Valentine’s Day problem.

Whether Valentine’s Day causes irritation or joy, the overall concept of spending time or dedicating time to loved ones is sweet. One way to jazz up the holiday can be by giving a non-stereotypical gift to a valentine. Another thing to note is Valentine’s Day does not have to be the only year dedicated to spending time with a lover—take some time on the weekends or after school/work to surprise your partner with a date, chocolates, flowers, or just spend time together.