Flowers, chocolates and heart shaped boxes. All the things one might think of on Valentine’s Day.

When kids are younger, they might go all out on this sweet- filled holiday with candy and giving little Valentine’s Day cards to their classmates while they make sure that they had the best decorated box, so other students would put cards into their own.

“When I was in kindergarten my mom went out and bought a bunch of little decorations and food all in heart shapes and pink and red,” junior Gracie Wolfe said.  “It was super cute, and my friend came over after school and we celebrated.”

In high school if one has a date, it can be exciting and fun, but it can also be hectic. For example, finding the right gift or planning the perfect day can be very stressful especially if someone is trying to make it a surprise. However, in high school, Valentine’s Day can be enjoyable for those people in a relationship.

“[Last year] me and my date went out to downtown Naperville, went out to eat, then we walked around, and it was a really good time,” junior Lina Newcomb said.  “And, then of course we got Starbucks.”

How to celebrate Valentine’s Day can change for people when they get older. However, some people find a way to have a better one each year with so many new restaurants to try and more hot spots for a romantic date. Even if one couple does decide to stay in, there are plenty of ways to make that fun.

Other individuals rely on yearly traditions.

“When I was younger my family would all make each other cards and our parents would get us little gifts like candy and stuff,” junior Annie Gill said.  “Then, we would all meet in the family room and give each other the stuff we made. The rest of my family stopped the tradition a while ago, but I still have fun and make everyone cards.”

Over the centuries, Valentine’s Day is recognized as a day to celebrate love. It’s exciting and people go on dates with their significant other, buy each other presents and show them just how much they love them. when people get married and start a family, the exact day to celebrate Valentine’s Day may not actually fall on Feb. 14.

“Every year we try to do something fun like go out to dinner, but it’s not usually on Valentine’s Day because we have kids now,” English teacher Julie Fornelli said.

As people grow and mature, their perception of the holiday changes.  Thoughts like why spend all this money on one specific day of the year just to so show them you love them? become more common.

Adults often subscribe to the belief that people should expres their love for one another without having to buy gifts or celebrate it on a specific day in February.

“It was a lot more exciting when me and my husband were dating,” Advantage Program coordinator Diana Hames said. “We would get each other flowers and then go out to dinner, but now it has become less significant. But, we still get each other cards.”