By Dima Haidar | Staff Writer

Valentine’s day is coming up! To all the single and ready-to-mingle people out there like me, happy day-before-cheap-candy-day to all who celebrate!

If you’ve been on TikTok for a while now, you might have seen the trend where people posted what their love language(s) are and how their partners show them affection and love. But what exactly are “love languages”? Simply put, love languages are ways that a person prefers to express and receive love on an emotional level.

The concept was first introduced by author and counselor Dr. Gary Chapman in his 1992 book “The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate”. There are 5 known love languages, and they are: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch.

Every one of us has one of these languages that speak out to us the most – even though we may relate to most of them. With that being said, let’s go through and briefly explain them, along with some ideas of what you can do for/with your special someone.

1. Words of affirmation: people who value verbal acknowledgments of affection, including recurrent  “I love you”s, nicknames, compliments, encouragements, communication, and engagement fall under here. They like to feel valued and appreciated. One example of this is writing a love letter.
2. Acts of service: people here value someone that generally makes their life simpler, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be in extravagant ways. Even the simplest acts like getting them coffee in the morning can make their butterflies flutter. They are firm believers in the saying that goes “actions speak louder than words”.
3. Gifts: you don’t need to go all out for this, the secret ingredient here is to give them things that matter and add meaning to them and their values/beliefs, not just yours. The thought behind the gift counts more than its value. Gift ideas that are tangible versions of your love can include hand-made/ DIY things like a cd with your special songs, a date bucket list, collage art from your pictures together, matching bead bracelets, and so on.
4. Quality time: this is the most common love language in the world for both men and women. It includes people who enjoy quality time, love to hang out, and are outgoing when they are with their beau. The key is all about giving your undivided attention and full presence, mentally and physically. It’s usually not really hard to please them, anywhere and anything can work for them, as long as their partner is with them and they are creating special memories together.
5. Physical touch: bodily signs of affection like hugs, kisses, cuddles, holding hands, and so on make them feel cherished. The comfort and warmth that come with these acts are worth everything to people who favor this language.

In addition to these love languages, a 6th love language was proposed to be considered among the official love languages, one which should have actually been present from the beginning; Food! “Preparing and serving food” has been considered by many as a love language on its own. Who doesn’t love food, am I right? But, preparing a meal yourself is not the same as getting takeout, and so a lot of people value that their partner would take their time, energy, and effort to make/cook them something out of love.

Valentine’s day is not full of love for everyone. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a rough breakup, distance, health issues, conflicts, bad memories, or whatever it is, this day can still be enjoyed with friends, family, or even alone. Contrary to common assumption, it is a day to celebrate our love for everyone, not only our romantic partners. Naturally, Valentine’s Day is not the only occasion for showing our affection. Instead, it provides an additional chance for us to express our love and appreciation for the people we care about.

Happy Valentines Day!