Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest marketable holidays alongside Christmas. What to get for that special someone in your life, who you are going to ask, or planning a special date can be overwhelming. For the people who don’t know where the holiday originates, here’s a bit of Valentine’s Day lore. The beloved holiday comes when men and women from Rome would couple off during the Roman festival of Lupercalia, a festival originally celebrated on February 15th, where the Roman people would celebrate the coming of spring and blossoming fertility and health. As time went on, it turned into romantic courting instead of just an arrangement.

Not only is it one of the holidays that is extremely marketable, it’s also a day about love. Most of the time, you would think of your spouse or your partner as your special valentine. Yet, platonic and familial bonds should be just as celebrated on Valentine’s Day just as much as romantic love. Even with romantic love in the air, there is no extent on what love should be identified as.

Now this might be a bit bias, but as someone who is born near the holiday, it’s always a wonderful feeling when Valentine’s Day nears. Everyone, whether single or taken, experiences the holiday a bit different. For example, College of the Sequoias student Jazmyn Drummond mentioned that her valentine is, “Me. I am my valentine.” According to Drummond, “Valentine’s Day means to love yourself extra and to treat yourself because it is a special day.”

To others like COS student Clare Carlson, her valentine is “My boyfriend Thomas.” “It’s always meant to be sharing love and compassion to everybody… it’s about your love for other humans,” Carlson adds.

Valentine’s Day whether it’s with a lover or a platonic partner is still a day of love and joy. It’s the passion of spending it with any special person in your life and not just a single person. It can be about self care, family time, or hanging out with friends. So COS students, who is your valentine and what does Valentine’s Day mean to you?