As a girl growing up, Valentine’s Day seemed to be a big deal. Mostly because of all the candy – duh.
However, as I got older I started to realize Valentine’s Day is so much more than delicious packets of Nerds and M&M’s. It is a time to celebrate your love for that special someone. As consumers, we enjoy showering our loved ones with gifts. It makes us feel good to give our one and only something from the heart. But, then I had a revelation. When I worked in retail, I realized Valentine’s Day was actually really stressful for guys. You can’t even begin to imagine the flood of men swarming into the mall on Valentine’s Day with looks of absolute horror on their faces. Men would come up to me with big helpless eyes, and ask me what to get their significant others.
Unfortunately, some men were thoughtlessly purchasing gifts in order to fulfill what seemed to me like an expectation.
Clearly, I got curious. Valentine’s Day just didn’t seem so lovey dovey anymore! So, I asked a few guys on campus to dish out what they their ideal Valentine’s Day date would be and what they really think about the day of romance. Here is what I found out!
1) “My perfect Valentine’s Day date is super over the top lovey dovey, like going to a really nice dinner, something intimate and private, but super passionate, like a bleeding romance.”
“Valentine’s Day is a chance for corporations to make an extra buck, but it can still be intimate.”
Tyler Bushnell, 22, Marketing Major
2) “My perfect Valentine’s day date would be something either special and intimate between my partner and I, or something completely lavish and out of the ordinary”
“It is really a hack of a holiday, but it has become a vital part of our year. It is a day to dedicate to our lovers and it’s romantic in a festive sense, and intimate as well.”
Jeffrey McCormick, 25, General Business Major
3) “ My perfect Valentines Day involves spending intimate time with my partner, and actually enjoying each other without the blatant commercialism.”
“I think there is some sentiment behind the holiday, like loving your partner, but it’s become a corporate holiday now.”
Jordan Fonseca, 26, Biology Major
4) “As long as I am with the person I care about, it doesn’t matter what we do. We can be eating at McDonald’s or a 5 star restaurant, just as long as I am with that special someone. That is all that matters, everything is background noise.”
“I think people over look the true meaning of Valentine’s Day. They get so wrapped up in going to the fanciest restaurant or getting the best gift, they forget they have a whole lifetime to show they care for someone, not just one day.”
Donovan Gomez, 23, BECA Major, Marketing Minor
5) The entire Valentine’s Day needs to be totally one-on-one because the best thing is being together and making the whole day about that person. A relationship should be about each other.
“Valentine’s Day is a corporate holiday for sure, and that’s why people buy into it. However, we have it in our minds that it is important to celebrate and buy into it.”
Harry Croton, 22, Marketing Major
6) “My perfect Valentine’s Day date would be spending time with my partner, eating a nice dinner, and celebrating with chocolates and champagne.”
“It’s a greeting card holiday. It feels like people are going away from the true meaning of Valentine’s Day by making it more materialistic. It’s more about what people get, such as flowers and candy, rather than being together.”
Josh Cineros, 28, Sociology Major
Well there you have it – didn’t we learn a lot? It seems guys want to be intimate with their partners on Valentine’s Day, with a lot of one-on-one time. We can all agree that the majority of them think of it as a corporate holiday. However, whether they would rather buy into the holiday, or not, doesn’t seem to matter because they enjoy the sentiment behind it. How sweet is that?!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
HCXO,
Nicole