Valentine’s Day is a holiday meant for celebrating various types of love, whether romantic, platonic, or familial, and the holiday is approaching quickly. Some people celebrate this holiday by doing cute events with loved ones and exchanging gifts to show appreciation. Since this day celebrates all love, some people spend time with friends, family, and others they hold dearly. Valentine’s Day can also be a time to indulge in self-care and treat yourself to a good day. 

David Lucdor, a senior at Seminole High School, says “My favorite thing about Valentine’s Day is that it emphasizes the importance of love. I find that love is essential for your own validation.”

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday, and the students of Seminole don’t have school Monday. Some students can take this opportunity to extend their Valentine’s Day experience over the long weekend to make time for friends, family, and other relationships. However, this pandemic limits the activities that can be done. 

Lucdor shares “COVID-19 restrictions have negatively impacted the demonstration of love that a person has for another person. Wearing masks and being 6 feet apart can limit the expression that someone can show.”

Here are some ideas on what to do to still celebrate safely:

1. Movie marathons

This is a great idea that accommodates virtual meetings, as well. If a loved one has COVID-19, or you just want to be extra safe, you can still watch movies together to celebrate. Bring some snacks, blankets, and watch some rom-coms or Valentine’s Day movies with some company. 

1. Baking

Valentine’s Day is filled with getting sweets, chocolate, and candy, so why not make your own? Baking a cake with someone can be creative and fun, especially if you decide to decorate. The color of the cake and icing can be interesting to play with and to use pink, purple, or white for Valentine’s theme. Icing can be used to write messages, or draw hearts and cute shapes. Toppings can also top off the cake, with small balloons, teddy bears, or hearts. 

1. Cooking

Whether with a significant other or with friends, cooking can be a fun challenge to strengthen relationships. Try out a recipe you’ve never done before and work with your friends to complete the meal. It’s okay if you are not too skilled at cooking, too. Best case scenario: you and your friends have a delicious meal that you’ve all worked hard to make. Worst case scenario: you have a new experience of trying something new with your friends and have fun in the process.

1. Art

Another way to show appreciation, whether physical or digital, is to make something creative like a collage or photo album of your loved ones. It would be even more fun if you could meet with them and go through your memories together. To accommodate COVID-19 precautions, you can still do it digitally.

Another senior at Seminole, Sweta Srinivasan, lets us know that “The Coronavirus will impact celebrations this year because many people will not be able to see their loved ones. While this is a difficult situation for many, keeping precautions in mind is important. I do not have any plans, but will probably FaceTime my friends and family.”

As this holiday approaches, it is important to remember that COVID-19 cases are still rising rapidly and that staying home would be recommended. Any of the activities above can be done while virtually meeting others, but if students do choose to meet in person, they should wear masks and keep six feet of distance. Even so, you can still have a fun and memorable holiday with loved ones while being safe.