Written by Haley Hrnciar, Staff Writer
This year with a global pandemic, Valentine’s Day is bound to have some changes from previous years.
With restrictions on so many different opportunities that people have had in the past for Valentine’s Day plans, such as going to the movies or going out for a nice dinner, people may have to change up their plans from previous years and become more creative to make this day a special one that equals the ones of past years.
Valentine’s Day is a day where couples, family and friends can spoil each other with affection.
Med-Sci senior Rachel Leiting said that she plans to stay inside and cook dinner and dessert with her boyfriend. Leiting said if it weren’t for COVID, then she and her boyfriend would have gone out to eat at a nice restaurant.
On a typical Valentine’s Day, Communications senior Natalie Lother would go to softball practice and then watch her sister if her parents go out to dinner for a date night due to her not being able to spend the day with her boyfriend since he happens to be away for college. But with COVID going on, she doesn’t know what she will be doing since softball practice is affected and she doesn’t know if her parents will go out to eat due to the pandemic.
When asked what Valentine’s Day means to them, Leiting said Valentine’s Day is a day to appreciate the love you share with others and Lother said Valentine’s Day is a special day where she thinks that you should show more appreciation than normal to your partner. And if you don’t have a partner, then it is a day to show more appreciation for friends and family.
Leiting and Lother both say that their perfect Valentine’s Day would just be spending time with their boyfriends.
General Studies Senior Trisha Gosselin noted COVID has impacted more than just Valentine’s Day, but a lot of other major holidays too. The coronavirus is still as dangerous now as it was when it began, she said, and even though Valentine’s Day is a holiday, it is still smart to social distance and not have large gatherings. She said that if we continue to stay safe even throughout holidays, then maybe we can be one step closer to having normal holidays again in future years.
Gosselin also believes that because of COVID, this Valentine’s Day is going to be weird and hard since she isn’t going to be able to spend time with all of those who she appreciates since she doesn’t want to go and mingle all over the place during a global pandemic.
Valentine’s Day may be different from previous years, but there are still ways to celebrate and stay safe while doing so.
Some ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day include staying inside and watching movies at home, having sleepovers with close friends, or even just staying in and celebrating with family.