On the Friday before Valentine’s Day, a multitude of students came to campus sporting vibrant pink and red attire. Two days before, and on the holiday itself, many found ways to celebrate this time of love with their significant others and friends through goodie bags filled with Hershey Kisses, heart-shaped cookies, and many more festivities.
On Valentine’s Day, vocal junior Kayla Esther Zakarin surprised her boyfriend with a picnic on the beach. She took inspiration from the cake in a wine glass trend, accompanied by red and pink foods like watermelon and raspberry lemonade.
“I’m going to pick him up and drive to the beach without telling him where we’re going,” Zakarin said. “I have the picnic basket and everything so I’m [going to] blindfold him and we’ll walk onto the beach and I’ll set it up.”
To find inspiration for her rendezvous, which would act as both Valentine’s Day and their two-year anniversary, Zakarin took to Instagram and posted on her story asking her followers to comment ideas — the majority of the responses suggested a beach picnic.
“With [COVID-19], there’s not a lot to do, so any outdoor activities seemed like a good idea,” Zakarin said.
In recent years, Zakarin has celebrated Valentine’s Day in more ways and has indulged in the spirit of chocolate boxes and conversation hearts.
“I grew up very Jewish, and in my little Jewish school, we didn’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day because it’s a secular holiday, but it leans towards Christianity,” Zakarin said. “Now that I can celebrate it, I love pink and red and love and roses. I love everything that I associate with Valentine’s Day.”