Pink or red roses and chocolates are just a few of the things that make up one of the most romantic and oldest holidays to date, Valentine’s Day. Often known as the holiday for love and romance, the day is heavily targeted at people in relationships, “situationships” and everything in between. For many, Valentine’s day is a day where people express their love for one another.
This may be through gift giving, dates or other acts of affection. However, for some, it can be a burden if they are clueless of what to do. At North Carolina A&T State University, students seemed to have a clear definition of what Valentine’s Day is and what they expect out of the holiday. “You should treat every day like Valentine’s Day by showing the person that you care about them, not only just for a day,” said Patrick Edmond, a senior journalism student. Although this is nice, it can lead many people to believe that they do not have to do extra work on the holiday. 18 to 34-year olds are driving the biggest gap by not celebrating the day. There has been a huge decline since 2009 with 72 percent of 18-34-year olds celebrating opposed to 2019 where only 52 percent of people are celebrating. These days, people celebrate differently. Other students like Alexandria Marrow, a junior marketing student, expressed similar interest. “I’m a very loving person and so it’s like one day with lots of emphasis on one of the things I’m most passionate about, which is love, so it’s a very significant day,” Marrow said.
The holiday itself dates back and no one is fully aware of how it began, but there is evidence that it started with a man by the name of St. Valentine. St. Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. Claudius the II, then Emperor of Rome ruled out marriage for single men, suggesting they should become soldiers to fight. Seemingly, Valentine saw the injustice of this with not giving them a voice and decided to act. Although ordered to stop performing marriages, Valentine continued to perform ceremonies for young lovers until he was eventually was caught and ordered to death. Many speculate that before he died he wrote a letter to his partner signing it with “from your Valentine.” Hence, his relationship to what is now known as Valentine’s Day. Not much has changed with the idea behind Valentine’s Day, but more with the gifts and marketing.
Consumers can walk into a store and find that it may be near impossible to avoid the Valentine’s Day aisle since most of the merchandise is put out in mid-January and sometimes sooner. Individuals have unlimited options of what to buy their significant others or themselves. The only thing they have to decide is what the actual gift will compose of, and gift giving can be challenging depending on the status of a relationship. “Valentine’s day is more catered to women because men don’t really expect too much out of the day however it should be equal because both people should be celebrated,” said Shaun Mckellar, a senior information technology student. Some students also expressed that they weren’t too sure what they were doing for Valentine’s Day this year. Some said they would be spending it at home, waiting for their mom to bring them chocolates or whatever they can find to do. Most students that are single opt to spend the day with friends with many throwing gatherings such as, “Galentines,” which is Valentines but for women. Social events like this make people feel more at ease and less pressure if they haven’t been asked on a date yet. With all the love in the air, one thing is for sure: N.C. A&T students are in the Valentine’s Day Spirit whether single or in a relationship.
