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Happy Valentine's Day
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SBU | Life > Experiences

My Favorite Holiday

Natalie Merrill Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

“I’ve been thinking about you this week!”  

“Your favorite day is coming up!” 

“I used to dread Valentine’s Day before I met you, now I can’t wait for it!” 

All of these things have been said to me multiple times this week leading up to one of my days of the year: Valentine’s Day. I know, I know, it’s a hot take. But I have been on a mission since my junior year of high school to share my joy and love of the holiday with others. 

Sitting in school, 16-year-old me was sick and tired of hearing my single friends complain and be negative about Valentine’s Day because they didn’t have a significant other in their life to make it better. When did we lose the joy Valentine’s had brought in elementary school? The in-class celebrations and card exchanges used to bring so much excitement, and now my friends thought Valentine’s had nothing to offer without a romantic partner.

I didn’t share their sentiments.

My parents took me out every Valentine’s Day, so I never felt as though the holiday was about romance–to me, it was just about love. And I wanted my friends to realize that they, too, had love in their life that should be celebrated, even if it wasn’t romantic. How could I show them? It started with a trip to Dollar Tree.  

At Dollar Tree, I headed to the Valentine’s aisle and loaded up with valentines, toys, trinkets, necklaces and everything in between. Afterward, I headed to Walgreens to grab bags of candy. I brought my loot home, opened it all up and emptied it into grocery bags to transport to school. Everyone in each of my classes that year got some form of a Valentine. And thus, a tradition was born. 

For the last six Valentine’s Days, I have made silly Valentine’s for all of my friends. Since being at college, I have hosted multiple Valentine’s parties/outings, from getting Applebee’s appetizers to making marry-me chicken pasta to munching on some “nuggets of love.” Valentine’s Day has become an excuse for me to ensure that my friends know how much I love them. That our friendship and our love deserve to be celebrated, too. 

This is my first Valentine’s Day with a romantic valentine. And I am so excited to share my favorite holiday with Hayden. But this is not my first “real” Valentine’s Day. The love between myself and my parents, my friends and my roommates that I have celebrated every other Valentine’s Day is just as valid and real as any romantic love.  

So, for any of you single people out there that find yourself rolling your eyes or avoiding social media today, find a way to celebrate the relationships in your lives. Buy your roommate flowers, call your mom, grab a pizza with some friends, or celebrate your relationship with yourself and enjoy a face mask and your favorite show. Whatever you do, do not think that your Valentine’s is wasted because you don’t have a romantic partner. Your life is full of love, you just have to take the opportunity to recognize it.  

Natalie Merrill

SBU '25

Natalie, or Nat as most know her, is a new member of Her Campus at SBU! This is her first year in the chapter, and she looks forward to using Her Campus as a way to express herself and rediscover her former love for writing.

In May 2024, Natalie graduated with her bachelor's in history with minors in political science and Spanish from St. Bonaventure after three years. She is continuing her education and receiving her master's in adolescence education during what would be her senior year. As an undergrad, she was President of College Democrats, involved in University Ministries and held two jobs on campus. She is currently working as a graduate assistant with the student success center, teaching a FRES 100 class to 14 freshmen and meeting with them each week to help ensure their success in college.

Outside of her professional career, Natalie enjoys anything that involves breakfast and coffee. She can talk anyone's ear off for hours on end, and frequently does so with her best friends. Her passions include anything to do with the city of Buffalo (go Bills), politics, her study abroad experience in Oxford, England and her early 2000s camcorder.