Love me…

Illustration by JASON CHEN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff

By Lisa Klassen
Daily Bruin Contributor

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Some don’t like love, But
others do.

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is here again,
complete with conversation hearts and a dozen long-stemmed, red
roses.

For people like Linda Huverserian, a first-year undeclared
student, Valentine’s Day means friendship and fun but not
necessarily romance.

“It’s what you make of it ““ it can be a mushy
experience or not,” Huverserian said. “There’s a
lot of commercial display, but it brings in excitement. It’s
really more about friendship and showing your appreciation for your
friends.”

A past Valentine’s Day brought romance and a surprise for
Ryan Valencia, a fifth-year anthropology student.

“I was living with my girlfriend who worked at a flower
shop,” he said. “I came home to find that she had put
rose petals all over the floor and had lit candles. She made us
dinner, and we had a wonderful and romantic time.”

Many students say the most important aspect of Valentine’s
Day is spending time with significant others, as well as
friends.

“My ideal Valentine’s Day would be spent in a cabin
in Tahoe,” said Aryeh Hersher, a first-year history student.
“I would spend the day in front of a fireplace, alone with my
girlfriend. Being alone and having that intimacy with her is really
important.”

Hersher’s idea of an ideal Valentine’s Day echoes
the original sentiment of the holiday.

According to “The History of Valentine’s Day”
from the History Channel’s Web site, Valentine’s Day
originated from both a Roman fertility festival called Lupercalia
and a Catholic priest named Valentine.

Legend tells that Emperor Claudius II prohibited soldiers in the
Roman army from getting married, believing that real soldiers
didn’t need to be concerned with a wife or a family. But many
love-struck soldiers wishing to marry their sweethearts turned to
Valentine for help.

Touched by the warriors’ dilemma, Valentine secretly
married couples until Claudius II captured, imprisoned and
sentenced him to death. During his term in prison, Valentine fell
in love with a woman rumored to be the jailer’s daughter.

Before his execution, Valentine wrote his lover a note and
signed it “From your Valentine,” creating the first
valentine and starting a tradition that has transcended ages.

The Catholic church later canonized Valentine as the patron
saint of lovers, and he quickly gained popularity in England and
France.

When people heard of Valentine’s fate, they started
sending their loved ones notes as Valentine did before his death.
Today, this tradition continues with people exchanging flowers and
presents, as well.

But why Feb. 14? According to the article, the Catholic church
sought to Christianize Roman festivals, such as Lupercalia, held on
Feb. 15.

Because St. Valentine represented lovers, and the Lupercalia
festival celebrated fertility, people began to hold festivities for
both the holiday and the saint concurrently. Changes to the Roman
calendar established Feb. 14 as the official Valentine’s
Day.

Despite the romantic sentiments behind the holiday, people like
Marco Bollinger, a fourth-year English student, see
Valentine’s Day as an artificial and commercialized
holiday.

“I don’t know what’s worse, the candies with
the little words on them or feeling like you’re supposed to
go out and get a valentine,” Bollinger said. “I’d
hope that if I had a girlfriend, I’d already be doing nice
things for her on my own. I don’t need a special day for
that.”

Although the American Greeting Card Association estimates that
people buy 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards bought each year,
many students believe that Valentine’s Day can be special
without being extremely expensive or traditional.

“If you want to go do something fun, then go out and do
it,” said Derek Broome, a third-year international economics
student. “Lighten up and just enjoy it. Remember that is
doesn’t have to be expensive.”

Picnics, homemade dinners and flowers are affordable
Valentine’s Day alternatives that often turn out to be just
as exciting and meaningful as their more costly counterparts,
Broome said.

“Just have fun and relax,” Broome said. “You
never know what can happen on Valentine’s Day.”