Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean love is necessarily in the air. Despite its intentions of being a day for couples to relish in the company of each other, many can’t stand the holiday.
Sophomore Donta Selden holds this opinion. “Because I have no significant other, I find no value in it. I usually find no value in it anyway. I think you should show the one you care about that you care about them every day, not just one day out of the year.”
Selden’s sentiments were shared in the subject of a 2021 study by “LendingTree”. Their study was centered around American’s Valentine’s Day habits that year, and they found that around 40 percent of citizens were skipping celebrations that year.
While some people refrain from celebrating Valentine’s Day, there’s been an increasingly large movement to hold “Anti-Valentine’s Day” festivities such as “Galentine’s” or the Punk Prom that was held at KSC Feb 11. Those celebrating in these ways typically celebrate their platonic friends, as well as their happiness and contentment being single.
Despite growing opposition, Valentine’s Day is still a profitable industry. A study from “Statista” predicts a revenue of $25.9 billion for this coming iteration of the holiday. This is more than a $10 billion increase from 2009, which had a total revenue amount of $14.7 billion, though neither have reached the heights of 2020, which had a total revenue of $27.4 billion.
It’s expected that New Hampshire will put a lot of money into Valentine’s Day, especially after a recent study done by “Ink Link.” This study found that N.H. was the tenth ranked state when it comes to lasting love. The study measured relationships and marriages, how long they were together for, and whether or not they were still together.
For those finding themselves without a Valentine this year, Selden has some advice. “I would say surround yourself with people you care about, your friends and your family, not just one day, but everyday”.
Lloyd’s cashier “Miss Kim” also had a word of advice for lonely hearts. “Just stay away from it all. My husband and I still get cards. I think it’s always gonna be in your heart, but I’ve been single on Valentine’s Day and it does kinda hurt.”
Zach Murphy can be contacted
at zmurphy@kscequinox.com
