Celebrated each year as a way to appreciate loved ones and relationships, Valentine’s Day has grown massively in influence through representation in pop culture and its impact on teenage lives. Students at LTHS celebrated Valentine’s Day this Monday in an equally diverse set of ways. 

The holiday has several popular purposes ranging from spending time with loved ones to showing appreciation towards significant others. 

“In my opinion, the purpose of Valentine’s Day is to recognize and celebrate all of the different relationships we have in our lives.” junior Neha Somepali said. 

Popular pastimes during Valentine’s Day include creating gifts and cards for friends, family, and significant others. 

“It provides us with the opportunity to show our loved ones that we care about them whether it is through a handwritten card or just spending time with them,” Somepali said.

However, criticism of consumerist practices during Valentine’s day is also prevalent in regards to the day in the United States. 

“I definitely dislike that they market it so much that it harbors materialistic values and forms of showing affection but I definitely like that we show love and appreciation for each other,” junior Tanvi Kangralkar said. 

At LTHS, an activity that took place on Valentine’s Day is Student Council’s “Trail of Hearts”. 

“The purpose of Trail of Hearts is to make sure that all students at LT feel loved on Valentine’s Day, whether that is amongst friends, loved ones, or just self-love.” junior in Student Council, Gia Shetty, said.

LTHS has been doing “Trail of Hearts” since the beginning of its creation and still continues to be implemented. 

“We wanted to create a fun activity,” Shetty said, “to bring the school together on this special day of love.”