Memories of first love often remain buried beneath the busyness of life, but they rarely disappear completely. The thought of an old love, a particular moment, or a long-forgotten feeling can suddenly bring a smile—or leave a quiet sigh. Today, Friday (September 18), is observed as First Love Day, offering an opportunity to revisit those memories.

The day reportedly originated in the United States in 2015 and has since been associated with remembering the emotions and experiences of first love. It is not limited to romantic relationships; rather, it can also be seen as an occasion to reflect on love as an emotion and a personal experience. However, there is no definitive information about how the observance was originally established.

First love is often connected with some of life's earliest emotional experiences—walking beside someone for the first time, sharing personal likes and dislikes, experiencing a first touch, or having shy conversations. Such moments can carry a sense of innocence and spontaneity, before love becomes intertwined with expectations, calculations or responsibilities.

Bangladeshi writer Humayun Azad is widely quoted as saying, “There is no second, third, fourth or fifth love. Whenever a person falls in love, every love is the first love.” The idea reflects how each experience of love can feel new, allowing people to open themselves up and discover emotions they may not have experienced before.

The memory of first love, therefore, is not always about a particular person. It can also be connected to a specific period of life, a special chapter of one's journey and the experience of discovering oneself during that time.

For some, those memories remain cherished. Others gradually leave them behind as new relationships and new people become part of their lives. Yet, even after many years, memories of first love can unexpectedly return, sometimes bringing a smile without the person even realizing it.

The famous line from Lata Mangeshkar's song, “Prem ekbar-i eshechhilo nirobe” (Love came silently only once), also evokes the unconditional emotions associated with an early experience of love, where feelings can matter more than demands or expectations.

Poet Ahsan Habib also explored the nature of love through his writings, reflecting on how love can remain present even when it is not reciprocated.

First love does not carry the same meaning for everyone. For some, it is a happy memory; for others, it may represent unspoken words, heartbreak or a beautiful chapter of the past. In some cases, the person who was once someone's first love may even have become their life partner, allowing both to look back on those early days together.

This also raises a timeless question: Is there really something uniquely different about “first love”? As people move through life, new relationships emerge, old memories may fade, and some emotions remain quietly tucked away in a corner of the heart.

For many, First Love Day can simply be an occasion to pause and look back at a special moment from the past. Whether the person who inspired that first feeling is still part of their life or not, the memory may still remind them of the innocence, excitement and emotions that accompanied the beginning of love.