Valentine’s Day is a renowned holiday worldwide, celebrated by many. However, depending on age, it is celebrated differently. For example, elementary schoolers annually celebrate with a massive candy exchange event, while more recently, teens and adults have embraced “Galentine’s” as a way to celebrate platonic love.

Although Valentine’s Day is most commonly known for love, romance and flamboyant proposals, Burlingame students, teachers and couples use this occasion to spread love and appreciate one another, whether romantic or not.

Sophia Geminder

Junior Sophia Geminder has participated in all kinds of Valentine’s celebrations — the massive candy exchanges, Galentine’s Day and spending time with family.

While most people receive flowers from their significant other, one of Geminder’s most treasured memories was when her dad surprised her with preserved roses.

“I got [the roses] three years ago, and they’re still in my room today,” Geminder said. “I think [my dad] was the first person ever to get me flowers.”

Now, Geminder is among the many who celebrate Galentine’s with her friends every year. 

“[My friends and I] hang out and dress up in Valentine’s colors,” Geminder said. “We bake Valentine’s Day-themed cupcakes and cookies, like heart-shaped food to get festive.”

This year, Valentine’s Day was special for Geminder.

“I’m going out with my boyfriend [and] we’re going out for dinner,” Geminder said on the day. “This is my first year actually having a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Geminder’s diverse Valentine’s Day experiences enable her to reflect on the evolution of the holiday, and both its values and challenges.

“If you don’t get [gifts] it makes you feel lonely,” Geminder said. “Back then, people didn’t care about being in a relationship. Everyone was included and you were just so happy that you were eating candy.”

Kelsey Fjell-Walton

While people typically spend Valentine’s Day with their partner, biology teacher Kelsey Fjell-Walton celebrates with family.

Fjell-Walton’s favorite memory was her dad giving her Valentine’s Day cards as a reminder that not having a significant other shouldn’t stand in the way of celebrating the holiday.

“I didn’t always have a Valentine, so my dad used to make me and my sister’s cards to not make us feel left out,” Fjell-Walton said.

Fjell-Walton also enjoys watching others express their love on Valentine’s Day.

“I enjoy seeing all the different outfits every year, and like seeing people show their love for others and people dressing up in their cute little pink and red.” 

Emily Simon and Sarah Loh

For Galentine’s Day, freshmen Emily Simon and Sarah Loh celebrated with their friend group by exchanging gift baskets and spending quality time together.

The Galentine’s celebration proved to be just as good as they envisioned — and more fun than a romantic date — as the girls matched in pajama outfits and extensive amounts of food.

“We all brought food to celebrate and I enjoyed eating with my friends,” Simon said.

Their gathering was a culinary delight, boasting a mixed spread that included treats from Wingstop, Chick-fil-A, decadent brownies, and cotton candy.

“I loved having all the food, there was so much to eat, my favorite was the Chick-fil-A,” Loh said.

Combined, their favorite part was a secret gift exchange where they made personalized gifts for one another. 

“We also made custom gifts for everybody, so like a Secret Santa but a ‘Secret Sister.’  There were some really good gifts.”  Loh said.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Secret Sister gift exchange, which added an element of mystery and excitement to the festivities.

“It was an absolute blast exchanging the gifts,” Simon said.

Simon is grateful for the popularity of Galentine’s Day as an alternative option to the traditional Valentine’s celebrations.

“I think it’s kind of like a fun tradition and I love all the theming around it, I can’t wait for the next time,” Simon said.