Editorial: Roses Are Red, Violets Are Ideal, Is Valentine’s Day Even Real?
February 14, 2019
Every year on February 14th, many people express their love for their significant other through flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and more. Valentine’s Day known for being the romantic “holiday” to many out there. According to others, though, Valentine’s Day is not considered a real enough holiday to celebrate and instead is a “Hallmark holiday”. Do these opinions reside in the action of being in a relationship versus being single? Are there other factors that can change this opinion?
When you’re in a relationship, it’s probably fair to say you like the idea of the holiday because you have something to celebrate. If you’re single, you probably view the holiday differently because you don’t have someone special to share it with. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 51% of people said they were going to celebrate, leaving 49% of people to say that they weren’t planning on celebrating. Most of the people who are celebrating are in a relationship, and most of the people who aren’t celebrating are single. Being in a relationship can obviously affect whether or not celebrates Valentine’s Day, but it is not the only factor that determines if it’s legit or not.
Though Valentine’s main purpose is to show love and appreciation towards your significant other, some could argue that this celebration is a marketing ploy. Again referring back to the NRF, the average American spends $146.84 on Valentine’s Day with a total of $19 billion spent in one day. About 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged industry-wide, making Valentine’s Day the second largest holiday for giving greeting cards. That amount of money is enough for Hallmark to keep up the idea that Valentine’s is a real holiday. Hallmark builds up this money by selling perfect gifts and is able to advertise their product in millions of stores across America. This can obviously alter people’s overall opinion of this holiday.
| The meaning of Valentine’s Day differs within the student body of Manitou Springs High School. Ava Spangler, a senior at MSHS, said, “Valentine’s Day is just a way for Hallmark and other companies who benefit from this business to gain mass amounts of money in such a little time.” | ||
| Straying away from the more serious opinions, another senior, Maddie Grant—who is in a serious relationship— said, “ I don’t mind Valentine’s Day, but February 15th is when chocolate is super cheap. I always look forward to that more than Valentine’s Day.” |
The two most influencing components to one’s opinion of Valentine’s Day are being in a relationship and the way it is marketed. Although there can be other reasons why someone would like or dislike the holiday, these two are the biggest influences on American people. Most couples around the world look forward to this day all year. The theme of love surrounds everyone and fills their heart, so it’s definitely easy to look forward to it.
Dominic “Angel” Garza Senior (12th) • Feb 10, 2020 at 8:43 am
I definitely can see how Valentine’s Day could be viewed from different perspectives. Honestly, I’m a SS (Single Senior), but I still enjoy Valentine’s Day despite that. For me it’s a beautiful holiday to share love whether or not you’re in a serious relationship with someone. Hey, this coming Valentine’s Day I’m thinking of making personal gifts for those I hold dear, like my friends and family. I don’t need that fancy-shmancy chocolate they sell at the stores. This holiday is about sharing love, and that doesn’t have to be limited to just purely romantic relationships. Perhaps you’ve got some friends or family you want to share it with, and I think they’d appreciate it. Love is love no matter who it’s for.