Valentine’s Day from the Perspective of Urbana Students
Valentine’s Day is not a holiday that everyone is enthused about, and many agree that the day has its awkward and confusing side. Some even feel that Valentine’s Day is an unimportant day and possibly shouldn’t be on the calendar as a ‘real’ holiday.
Many think that Valentine’s Day has more to do with consumerism and guilt than love or friendship.
“I think Valentine’s Day is really just an excuse for stores to sell chocolate and greeting cards,” said Emma Hazen, UHS freshman. “It sort of seems like a scam of a holiday to me and super awkward if you’re single.”
Hazen isn’t wrong about the sales during Valentine’s Day. According to Statistic Brain, the average annual Valentine’s Day spending for the entire the United States is around $13,290,000,000. Also, the amount that the average consumer typically spends on Valentine’s Day is $116. According to these statistics, Valentine’s Day, at least from the perspective of the stores selling merchandise for the holiday, could be interpreted as a day invented for the purpose of chocolate, jewelry and card sales.
On a lighter note, loads of students seem to have memories of being younger and exchanging cards in a classroom setting. You know, the age where it was insisted upon that everyone in the class got a valentine from every single of their peers? Talk about guilt. Due to the pressure to ‘show the love’ to your classmates in elementary school, even those who you probably never spoke to outside of a greeting card hastily shoved into a handmade mailbox, many students have awkward stories from Valentine’s Days long passed.
“When I was in Junior High, this guy I hardly knew gave me a heart shaped necklace,” said Bailey Burg, senior. “I had to pretend that I hadn’t opened it when he asked me why I wasn’t wearing it.”
Hazen seems to have had a similar experience.
“One time in middle school, a guy put a note in my locker asking for my email address,” Hazen said, “I wasn’t sure if he was some stalker or a guy who wanted to hang out for Valentine’s Day.”
While some people may have had awkward experiences in earlier days, others seem to have had an overall simplistic, yet relaxing Valentine’s celebration with their significant other.
Matt Brauer, sophomore, said, “I took my girlfriend to the movies and spent time with her. My car battery died so we has to call someone to come pick us up, so it was kinda fun but kinda embarrassing, but we had a good time because we were together.”
Brauer isn’t the only one who had a fun Valentine’s Day.
Andrehyu Allen, sophomore, said, “I invited her [my Valentine] over and I made dinner for us. I got her a teddy bear and some balloons and a card. I also set up candles, so we had a candle-lit dinner, and we watched a Japanese comedy while we ate. Overall, the best Valentine’s Day ever.”
So sure, some may have their opinions about the validity of Valentine’s Day as a true holiday as opposed to an annual greetings card guilt-fest. However, it seems that the simpler the day, the more relaxing and fun the holiday can actually be. So go ahead and save your money, and just use the day as an excuse to spend time together. Afterall, Valentine’s Day is only what you make it.
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