VALENTINE’S: Valentine’s Day arrived with its usual confidence, stepping into February like it owns the place — and honestly, it kind of does. It’s the one holiday in the middle of winter that doesn’t apologize for being loud. The reds and pinks showed up right on schedule, filling shelves with heart‑shaped everything and reminding anyone who had been blissfully ignoring the calendar that the day had, in fact, arrived.

The seasonal displays did what they always do: tried to convince everyone that romance can be distilled into foil wrappers, themed cookies and a card that says exactly the right thing without saying too much. The greeting‑card aisle transformed overnight into a wall of options that all somehow manage to look both identical and overwhelming. February may not have many obligations, but Valentine’s Day makes up for it by being extremely committed to its aesthetic.

As usual, the day revealed who plans ahead and who improvises. The planners moved with quiet efficiency. The improvisers made the familiar, slightly panicked loop through the gift aisles, weighing the merits of chocolate versus flowers versus “maybe this counts as thoughtful.” Winter weather didn’t help; nothing says romance like trying to keep a bouquet from blowing sideways in the wind.

Restaurants saw the expected bump in reservations, though plenty of people opted for the low‑key version: takeout, a movie, or simply acknowledging the day without turning it into a production. Valentine’s Day doesn’t require theatrics to be noticed; it just shows up, bright and insistent, in the middle of a gray month.

In the end, it passed the way it always does — a little chaotic, a lot commercial and just colorful enough to remind everyone that winter won’t last forever.