Celia Bueno
Senior Staff Writer
I have always been a big fan of Valentine’s Day, even though I didn’t have a partner until my twenties.
I remember my high school years, watching time pass and wondering: will I graduate without having a partner? And the truth is, yes, I did. I almost graduated from university while still being single, and it would have not been the end of the world (now I know). Despite all of that, I have always been a big fan of Valentine’s Day.
I have always had friends who, single or involved in the most romantic relationships, have chosen to accompany me on this holiday. From PowerPoint nights describing our ideal partner to “Secret Santa” exchanges among friends where we gifted each other bouquets, we have found creative and fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in our own way.
Maybe it’s time to leave behind the cliché of the heartbroken, jealous single and start using Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to laugh at ourselves.
It’s true that Valentine’s Day on social media is filled with two things: couples in love celebrating Feb. 14 with a somewhat superficial touch, and single people pitying the lack of romance in their lives.
Perhaps it’s all part of the same narrative: chocolates, flowers, and those who mute Instagram stories on Valentine’s Day, arguing that it’s just a superficial occasion.
But what day isn’t superficial? In 2025, we have turned everything — from everyday moments to the most special occasions — into opportunities to post on Instagram. I would be surprised to find someone that has received or given flowers, chocolates or heart-shaped cards without posting that charming gesture on social media.
Valentine’s Day is no more superficial than any other day, where we post photos of the lunch we eat, the shows we see and the coffees we drink.
In recent years, with awareness surrounding mental health and self-care, a message of self-love has emerged from the so-called “superficiality” of Valentine’s Day.
Last year, for every Instagram story featuring a happy couple, I came across another of friends exchanging flowers and chocolate, single people spending Valentine’s Day making plans for themselves, and even mothers and children having small moments of appreciation for each other.
In today’s world, many people no longer participate in traditional relationship models. Given this social context, how necessary is it, really, to take Valentine’s Day so seriously?
The culture of romantic relationships has become a vast spectrum of possibilities that university students are unafraid to explore. If we are capable of understanding this — if Gen Z has managed to normalize all kinds of relationships — then why do we still struggle to break away from the clichés of Valentine’s Day and start celebrating it with humor, fun, and irony?
Perhaps Valentine’s Day has evolved from a day when single people mourned their solitude to a day that reminds us of the importance of self-love. It reflects the changes in social relationships in the 21st century, shaped by a new lifestyle that prioritizes personal well-being, and reinforces the contemporary belief that before loving someone else, it is essential to love oneself.
I truly believe it’s important to preserve it — as a tradition, a celebration, and a day to remember that love exists beyond romantic relationships. For this reason, the holiday should stop being a day of lamentation or self-pity and instead become a celebration of love in all its forms.