By Navya Pandit

Valentine’s Day fell on a Saturday this year, and, as one of the most beloved yet disliked holidays, students celebrated in different ways. For many, it meant celebrating with their partner and spending quality time together or spending time with their friends; however, it was not always regarded as a romantic holiday.

Historically, Valentine’s Day traces its roots to third-century Rome, when St. Valentine, a priest, secretly performed marriage ceremonies despite Emperor Claudius II’s order that men were not allowed to marry, as he thought unmarried men made better soldiers.

St. Valentine was executed on Feb. 14th of that year for defying the emperor, but before that, he had been jailed and wrote the first “Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he loved. Later, during the fifth century, Pope Gelasius I declared the 14th of February as St. Valentine’s Day. This led to a tradition of people exchanging handwritten letters and cards to their significant others, which is still followed today.

Freshman electrical engineering major Ian Nguyen, who met his girlfriend, Mercy Kassim, a freshman microbiology and nutrition major, through the University of Maryland’s Class of 2029 account, planned to celebrate the day with her, with Kassim baking a cake for the two of them and enjoying a seafood boil together.

However, he believes that being in a relationship goes beyond just going on dates together. 

“Being an electrical engineer, and her being pre-med to be a cardiologist, are on opposite ends, but [we] love each other because of [our] different worlds and backgrounds,” Nguyen said. “A lot of how [we] make things work out is by accepting and understanding each other, even if it means having the hard conversations,” as they are the most important, he continued.

However, Valentine’s Day is not exclusive to relationships; it has since expanded to celebrate love in other forms, such as friendships, which is true for many UMD students.

“I’m gonna hang out with a friend,” said freshman bioengineering major Fatmatta M’Bai. “We’re having like an evening Galentines thing at my house, so we’re gonna watch movies and eat candy.”

Sophomore public health and information science major Fatima Yasar planned to celebrate Galentine’s Day on Friday because she had work on Saturday. Like M’Bai, she wanted to “just be around loved ones and family.” 

Whether it is spending time with a significant other, friends, or just by yourself, Valentine’s Day is a reminder to celebrate the love around us and to invest time and effort in the relationships that add meaning to our lives.

Featured Image: Students sit and socialize over a meal while studying. Photo by Anika Stikeleather.