Valentine’s Day. A day of teddy bears and roses and heart shaped candies. Whether you’re single and celebrating Valentine’s Day with your dog, or happily in love with your significant other, most people have fun traditions and opinions on Valentine’s Day. We asked SDA Mustangs:
Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions with your significant other, family, or friends?
Best place to go for a Valentine’s Day date?
Favorite love song? Favorite romantic movie?
Best Valentine’s Day present?
And here’s what they had to say:
“I do nothing special on Valentine’s Day. I guess it’s a good day for couples, but not for the guy.” -Junior Maxilien Bellier-Igaski
“I exchanged gifts with my best friend. She gave a small red heart shaped balloon and we gave each other chocolate. I guess Valentine’s Day is ok, but I could live without it.” –Senior Erin Stone
“I eat a bunch of chocolate on Valentine’s Day. I think today is good if you have someone to spend it with.” –Senior Sami Sonnich
“We make cookies and homemade Valentines every year. The best to go on Valentine’s Day is a simple and nice restaurant. My favorite love song is ‘Moments’ by One Direction. My favorite romantic movie is Titanic. The best Valentine’s Day present is a dozen red roses.” –Senior Korina Castrejon
“My Valentine’s day tradition is receiving chocolates from people. The best place to go on valentine’s day is anywhere. My favorite love song is ‘Minstrel’s Prayer’ by Cartel. My favorite romantic movie is A Walk to Remember. The Best Valentine’s Day present is chocolate!” –Sophomore Christa Inouye
“Me and my mom bake a flourless chocolate cake usually, and the best place to go would probably be the beach or somewhere that’s not too busy. My favorite love song is “Bold as Love” by Jimi Hendrix, my favorite romantic movie is Chocolat and the best Valentine’s day present is chocolate!” –Senior Domenica Berman
“No, I don’t have any. For a Valentine’s date, you definitely want to go to the Amnesty International Benefit Concert. Which is tonight. My favorite love song is “You’re So Vain.” Favorite romantic movie? Um . . . Twilight: Rebirth. The best gift would obviously be Twilight: Rebirth on Blu-Ray.” –Senior Maximo Prescott
“The best place to go on Valentine’s Day is to the Charthouse for a date. I don’t have a favorite love song. My favorite romantic movie is whatever one she wants to watch. The best present is a huge teddy bear.” –Junior A.J. Vasquez
“I don’t have any traditions. For a Valentine’s date, I would stay home and cook. My favorite love song is “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. The best romantic movie is A Walk to Remember. The best Valentine’s Day gift is a homemade bracelet or something like that.” –Sophomore Ariajana Martinez
“I don’t have any traditions or favorite love songs. I’m just going to do my homework today, not anything special.” –Senior Amber Michaelis
“I don’t have any traditions, but the best place to go for a Valentine’s date is to the movies to see a movie like The Vow. My favorite love song is “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. I’m excited because I got chocolate today.” –Sophomore Sierra Sherman
“I think the best place to go for a Valentine’s Day date would be the beach, but not today because it’s raining. My favorite romantic movie is Twilight, and the best gift to give would be a big stuffed teddy bear that says ‘be mine’ on it.” –Sophomore Greg Brice
“My favorite romantic movie is The Vow. I saw it this past week and I cried so hard!” –Sophomore Lizzy Knox
“My family gets stuffed hearts for each other with candy in them on Valentine’s Day. The best place to go for a date would be Paris, France. I think the best gift to give or receive would be a huge teddy bear holding a heart and a box of chocolates.” –Sophomore Bri Palacios
“I’m probably going to hang out at the house today. My favorite love song is Bruno Mars’s “Count on Me.” [The best Valentine’s movie is] The Little Mermaid. The best thing to do on Valentine’s day would be hanging out with a person.” –Sophomore Sarah Budman
“I have an important plan with my computer. We are going to do many things together. I’m also going to see The Vow with some of my boyfriends. My best Valentine’s Day present was candy.” –Freshman Dylan Hendrickson
“[I’m] not really going to do anything, but I was supposed to be born on Valentine’s Day. [I’m going to] just hang out at home. The best romantic movie is 50 First Dates – it’s amusing. My best present was chocolate.” –Sophomore Kathryn Chapman
“My mom gets me heart-shaped bagels from Garden State Bagels. [My best Valentine’s present was], well, a bouquet of heart-shaped bagels.” –Senior Kara Gorman
“Me and my family sometimes make each other cards and bake heart-shaped brownies.” –Sophomore Laura Breidenthal
“My Valentine’s Day consists of attacking people with heart stickers. There isn’t really a song, it’s better to make a playlist of all those mushy love songs to make people ‘melt’ while being with that ‘special one.’ Personally, if someone gets me chocolate I might throw it at them. But I love stuffed animals. The best place for a date is definitely the gondola, so romantic.” –Sophomore Emily Murdock
“This is my first Valentine’s Day with my new boyfriend. I got him a stuffed puppy, and I’m happy to just spend the day with him.” –Sophomore Cassie Chung “I think the best Valentine’s present is something meaningful. It’s better to make your valentine something meaningful rather than spend money on something stupid and generic.” –Junior Kirby Allen
“I watch everyone else get valentines on Valentine’s Day.” –Junior Noah Huggins
“I kind of veto it. I like the going out thing and printing out love for someone, but I hate the commercialization of it. My philosophy is I won’t give a gift but we spend time together. All of the pressure for guys to propose and buy diamond jewelry is unnecessary.” –Sophomore Katarina Young “I normally just hang out with my family.” –Senior Alex Goldstein
“I got my valentine earrings and a flower and I told her throughout the day that I hadn’t gotten her anything and I felt super bad about it. Then I had one of her friends put it in her locker so when she changed out after yoga she found it.” –Junior Dagan Stewart
“My traditions are that I usually hand out candy to friends and sometimes we do cards or candy in my family. The Forum or the beach would be good for a date. My favorite love song is “She Loves You” by The Beatles and my favorite romantic movie would have to be Lady and the Tramp, especially the spaghetti scene. I think a great gift would be a scrapbook because it’s so personal.” –Junior Brady Mears
“The traditions all died for me when elementary school ended. Sushi is definitely the best for dates. My favorite romantic movie is The Notebook, old people in love is so beautiful. The best gift would incorporate something that continues throughout the year, to show that your love for the person lasts more than just the one special day.” –Senior Nikki Cohen
“The best romantic movies are Milo and Otis, Toy Story 3, and Happy Feet.” –Junior Riley Rowe
“I think [Valentine’s Day] is a commercial holiday that’s still kind of fun. We’re celebrating the beheading of Saint Valentine with flowers and chocolate and hearts, and that’s kind of weird for me.” –Senior Jenny Fisher
“I like to wear pink and red colors [on Valentine’s Day.] Even if you don’t have a Valentine, it’s fun to just let people know you like them. [Valentine’s Day] is a fun way to appreciate each other and show each other their love.” –Junior Joleyne Lambert “I like [Valentine’s Day] because I get a lot of chocolate and candy. In elementary school, I liked the [Valentine’s Days] where you would bring boxes and share them all.” –Sophomore Chris Nobis
“My family makes treats the night before Valentine’s day. My sister Hannah and I had a giant baking event to make sweets for our friends and we ended up staying up till ten o’clock last night for the occasion. We mostly give my dad lots of chocolates because he’s Japanese. In Japan, Valentine’s day is a holiday where girls give the boys homemade chocolate and then a month later, boys give girls chocolates on White day.” –Senior Mariko Kobayashi
“The Oceanside pier would be the best place for a date because it’s less crowded than a restaurant would be. My favorite love song is “Crazy Girl” by Eli Young Band. The Notebook is my choice movie for Valentine’s days. Flowers are one of the best presents because they are simple and cheap but pretty romantic and thoughtful.” –Senior Rachel Leonard
“My family usually just has a special dinner or does something out of the ordinary. A good place to go on a date would maybe be a nice restaurant, a carnival, or somewhere where you can see the sunset. I think there is no specific ‘good gift.’ You just have to know the person to see what they’d like.” – Sophomore Coen Christian
“I don’t have any traditions, but a picnic would be a nice thing to do. “My Funny Valentine” is a romantic song, and The Notebook was a pretty good movie. Anything chocolate would be a good gift. “ – Sophomore Chelsea Cardenas
“Valentine’s Day is either the celebration of a massacre or the slaughter of St. Valentine, so there’s no reason to celebrate. If you want to conform then go to a nice restaurant. I’m no longer taking part in this interview because none of it applies to me.”-Junior George Iourov
“Though I don’t really have any Valentine’s Day traditions with people I think the best place to go for a date would be to the movies. My favorite love song is “Love Story” by Taylor Swift and I am in love with P.S. I Love You. The best Valentine’s Day present, I think, would have to be flowers.” –Sophomore Shelby Olivas
“I’m going to watch a movie with my girlfriend for Valentine’s Day. I think the best place to go for a date would have to be out to dinner. My favorite love song is “At Last” by Etta James and the best Valentines Day present is flowers.” –Sophomore Geoff Tamayo
“On valentines day I buy candy for my friends and eat it. I think the best place to go for a Valentine’s day date is Vigiluccis. My favorite love song is “I Love you like a Love Song” by Selena Gomez. My favorite romance movie is New Years Eve. The best Valentine’s Day present is a heart shaped lamp. “ –Sophomore Mark Bahbahuni
“On Valentine’s Day I watch romantic movies. I think the best place to go on a date on valentine’s day is the movies. My favorite love song is “Can’t Take my Eyes off of You.” My favorite romance movie is The Notebook. The best valentines day present I have gotten is flowers and jewelry. –Senior Carolina Diaz
“On Valentine’s Day I go out and do something fun. I think the best place to go on a date on Valentine’s Day is out to dinner but somewhere not crowded. My favorite love song is “The Man I Love” by Billy Holiday. The best Valentine’s Day present I have gotten is fancy chocolates.” –Senior Valentina Calmo
“For Valentine’s Day, I usually eat chocolate chip cookies with my cat. The best place to eat a Valentine’s day dinner is Vigilucci’s. My favorite love song is “Escape”, the Pina Colada Song. “Love, Actually” was a pretty good romantic movie. The best Valentine’s Day present is straight up chocolate.” –Junior Courtney Houle
“It’s actually Single Awareness Day, so I like to get a heart shaped Piñata and beat the crap out of it. The Prado in Balboa Park is really nice, and a walk around [Balboa] Park would make a good date. ”Just Like Heaven” by The Cure is my favorite romantic song. My favorite romantic movie is definitely not Gone With The Wind. Scarlett O’Hara is a complete shrew. The best Valentine’s Day present is my heart.” –Sophomore Michael Schulte
“For Valentine’s Day, I just make a nice dinner for my wife and I usually buy a flower for us to plant in the yard. There is a song by Billy Bragg and Wilco called “California Stars,” which I kind of made my wedding vows to. I’m not really into romantic movies though. If you were really a romantic kind of person, you don’t need a movie. The best Valentine’s Day present is something that lives and that you can plant and grow, like love, where you need to nurture it and take care of it.” –Teacher Scott Huntley
Reporting by: Angela Zhang, Cassia Pollock, Charlotte Ohrbom, Elisa Figueroa, Emily Hall, Emma Lindley, Mae Wright, Caroline Glass, Caitlin Hird, Jocelyn Lee, Katie Berriochoa, Kianna Eberle, Sarah Kochanek, Lily LeaVesseur, Lindsey Agnew, Eleanore Hendrickson, Tacy Manis, Olivia Mock, Natalya Ballard, Anna Williams, Katie Mcpherson, Taylor Knudsen, and Tatiana Skomski