I love February 14th! It’s a fun day to celebrate the people in your life that mean the most to you. I’m certainly on board with breaking up the monotony of winter that involves a day full of chocolate and dinner you don’t have to cook. 

However, back in the 80s at Canfield High School, the day always made me a little anxious. The notorious carnation sale took place on Valentine’s Day. For years, a school-related group would sell the flowers for $1 each. As we ate our pretzel rods and Grandma’s sandwich cookies from the snack bar during lunch, the students selling carnations would take orders and collect money. My friends and I would be on the lookout to see who was waiting in line. We were hoping to see our crushes and wondering if they contemplated sending us one.

You could send one to your boyfriend, someone you wish was your boyfriend, or just a pal. The color of each flower had different meanings. Yellow= friend, pink= sweet, purple=sexy, green= envy, white= innocent, and if someone sent you a red one? That was major. It meant love. It’s been 37 years since I graduated and I still remember what those colors represented. It was that big of a deal!

The carnations were handed out during homeroom and we patiently waited for our names to be called. My friends and I always bought yellow ones for each other. This was to ensure, at the very least, that we would receive a few. We gratefully pinned them on our sweaters from The Limited.  I felt butterflies in my stomach hoping the guy I was enamored with, thought of me and would send a pink or purple carnation with my name on it. The color you received was important. Hopefully, you didn’t get a yellow one from the one you liked. That would be a real bummer. I’m delighted to report that during my four years at Canfield High School, I was fortunate to receive my fair share of assorted colors. Lucky me!

On Valentine’s Day, we also stopped by the prestigious journalism room where the juniors and seniors published our school newspaper, The Cardinal. For a mere quarter, you could send someone a message of love or animosity through predetermined phrases. There were pages of messages inserted into the monthly addition and we spent most of the day perusing through them.  It was classic 80s teenage drama and romance at its finest.

In my eyes, Valentine’s Day is something to look forward to. Here’s hoping someone gives you a red carnation on Tuesday. My teenage self in high school will always remember that color meant something pretty special. Happy Valentine’s Day!