Kerala Gen Z redefining Valentine’s Day as trululu

​Love is in the air this February. But for Gen Zers in Kerala, Valentine’s Day is more than a predictable, Instagrammable script of flowers, dinners, and public declarations of love.

​Many young adults are redefining what the day means, often rebranding it as an inclusive celebration of all kinds of love that prioritises platonic friendships over traditional dating.

“Love is not a date circled in red,” says Aysha Dhiya Zellan, 25, a Kannur native. “It is a decision made every morning to choose the same person again.” For Zellan, affection compressed into a single square on the calendar risks reducing something delicate to a performance. “Love is not measured in posts or bouquets,” she adds.

​Neeraj, 23, from Thalassery, insists Valentine’s Day should be treated like any other normal day, not as a competition to prove love through gifts, posts, or public displays. Real love, he says, “lives in respect, trust, patience, and the small everyday efforts we make for each other.”

​While some might say being delulu is the solulu when it comes to finding a soulmate, Gen Z is increasingly finding trululu, true, realistic connection, in their closest friendships rather than just romantic partners.

Misbha Nourin, 21, a student in Kozhikode, does not see the need to dilute the day’s significance. “ I love Valentine’s Day,” she says without hesitation. “I think it is beautiful to have one day dedicated purely to celebrating love.” Even though she has not had the opportunity to mark it with a partner yet, she views the occasion as meaningful. “If I get the chance, I would definitely celebrate it properly,” she says.

“Roses are fine as a gesture,” says Anuranj Nirmal, 23, from Kannur, “ but gifts on Valentine’s Day should not become an obligation.”

​Aaron Runit, 22, a Kochi native studying journalism, believes people “reduce it to presents instead of presence.” Love, he argues, is often misread as a one-time event. “In the end, it comes down to how both people value and trust each other,” he adds.

​Interestingly, one Gen Zer, who wished to remain anonymous, describes Valentine’s Day as a competition shaped by reels and algorithm. “Love is sometimes a cycle of seeking and consuming validation,” she says.

​However, Simin Noufal, 22, an MBBS student from Mahe, describes love as “ the feeling of going back to the person after everything you do.” When that return is missing, she says, “the day feels incomplete.”