Let the People be Heard: Eastern students share their opinions on Valentine’s Day.

By: Chloe Rupe

Valentine’s Day. A day to express love and affection. Also, a holiday that most of us either love or hate each year. This can depend on your relationship or friendship status, or you might not like celebrating it at all. The large amounts of chocolates, roses, and even chocolate-shaped roses that stores display for the special day can be pretty overwhelming for some people. On the other hand, there are lots of people who enjoy having a romantic day with their significant other or love spending quality time with friends to share an appreciation for one another. In 2022, roughly two in five Americans intended to have a nice romantic dinner at home (Statista). Nearly the same number of respondents were planning on going out to a restaurant or to a concert. A considerable share of valentines also intended to give each other gifts, such as flowers or something sweet (Statista). But enough about what America thinks; let’s get a look at some positive and negative opinions Eastern students share about the holiday. 

“I love Valentine’s Day,” says sophomore Kacie Noonan. “I like the colors, I like all the hearts, I just love it.”

Sophomore Rainee Wright has a similar opinion, sharing “I really like it. I think it is a fun holiday. I really like to spend time with my significant other and get flowers and chocolate and eat chocolate-covered strawberries!” 

Sophomore Liam O’Connor says, “I think it is a great holiday that shows how much you love someone.” 

“I feel Valentine’s Day should be focused on spending time with people around you who love you rather than just your significant other,” says Freshman Emily Mancini. “Don’t get me wrong, the idea of being with someone for Valentine’s Day and getting to celebrate your love is wonderful, but it shouldn’t just be about that.” 

As someone who works in the food-service industry, senior Jason Hall gets a better look at how Valentine’s Day is not all rainbows and butterflies. Hall believes that “it’s a scam,” sharing “It is a way for restaurants and other places to make money off people.” 

Sophomore Brian Lang says, “It’s a pretty cool holiday, especially when you have a significant other, but if you don’t have a significant other I think it is a waste of time.” 

Junior Lauren Rossi says, “I’m not the biggest fan of it. I love being in love and being romantic and stuff but Valentine’s Day is weird because it is forced like you have to be.” 

There are so many opinions that go around regarding Valentine’s Day. Some people think it is romantic, others think it is unnecessary. This day has a long history of being a day for love and has been romanticized for decades. From many different perspectives of Eastern students, the overall ideas and obligations for that day have greatly changed. What do you think Valentine’s Day should be about, and should it even be celebrated?