SURVEY SAYS: Celebrating Valentine’s Day

Last week, I asked NewsDash readers, “Do you have plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day?”

More than two-thirds (67.7%) of responding readers said they did have plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day, while 26% did not, and slightly more than 6% weren’t sure.

The majority (62.9%) of readers who responded planned to spend Valentine’s with their spouse or partner, and 4.8% indicated they would spend celebrate Valentine’s with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Nearly 2% planned to spend it with their parents, 3.2% with children and 9.7% indicated they would spend Valentine’s with several family members. Nearly 5% planned to spend Valentine’s Day with friends, and 12.9% reported they would spend it with no one.

As far as gifts and other ways to celebrate, half (50.9%) of responding readers said they would give their valentines a card, 15.1% planned on giving candy, and 5.7% were going to give flowers. Stuffed animals and clothes each were selected by nearly 2% of readers.

Slightly more than one-third (34%) of respondents planned on a Valentine’s dinner, and 3.8% planned on a movie. Nearly 6% reported they would give their valentines jewelry.

No one selected “a trip” as the planned Valentine’s Day gift; however, among the 45.3% who chose “other,” trips were cited. “Other” responses included:

• a kayaking trip in the harbor
• Tickets to a sporting event
• We eat homemade pizza and watch a movie.
• I have no idea!
• My love
• A massage at the spa
• I got him a Fitbit as he is the only left in the family without one.
• Movie night in
• No exchange of gifts
• Annual Un-Valentine's Day Dinner at Fav Restaurant with Family-Style Seating
• If I have time, I'll run over to the spa and pick up a gift certificate for a massage. If I get a present from him, he'll get the gift certificate. If I don't get anything, I'll be getting a massage on Sunday.
• A dozen gourmet cookies
• Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies, his favorite!
• None or maybe something from my infant daughter to her grandparents.
• I go to college basketball game (Siena) giving her night to watch her movies at home
• I am taking my children to see the local hockey team on Valentine's day
• We stopped giving gifts - too commercial
• Hockey Game
• Nothing
• beer
• a card and a box of whoppie pies from Maine
• Lottery (scratch) tickets
• Day of Hiking

For the commenter who said, “Gosh, I wish this survey was a week earlier so it could provide inspiration. All it's doing for me now is heightening my level of stress,” hopefully this will help reduced your stress next year. Many respondents who left verbatim comments felt the same as the one who said, “I refuse to succumb to the consumerism surrounding this Hallmark holiday.” Others advocated showing love every day and not just on Valentine’s. Since this editor’s birthday is actually on Valentine’s Day, Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said: “This is Birthday Month! My husband knows to put all efforts into my birthday (which falls the week before V-Day) and none into the silly holiday.”

Verbatim

I forgot a card ONCE when I was first married. It is not going to happen again.

Appreciate loved ones while they are still around. Life is much to short & you never know if this holiday will be your last. Love & Peace!

Please never stop celebrating Valentine’s Day! Not matter how old you are, or how long you have been married, let that person know how much you love them! Keep those fires burning!

We will celebrate 45 years of happiness this year so we celebrate every day as Valentines. I do believe it is just another commercial holiday to get our hard earned money. So we do our own thang and enjoy every day together.

It's coming at a bad time this year as it's the weekend before Mardi Gras which is next week; or as everyone else will call it - Tuesday.

We're going to a murder mystery dinner. Should be a great time, and if we solve it, we might come home with a bottle of wine!

Celebrate love all year long. The only thing that would make Valentine's Day perfect is if we all had the day off!

Hallmark Holidays add so much unneeded stress. I watch my friends struggle with depression, anxiety and debt all because of a date on a calendar. If you love someone, show them that you love them. Better yet, do it in unique and creative ways. It doesn't have to cost money, and it doesn't have to be on 2/14. But this pressure to "do" all these holidays has got to stop. My FB feed is blowing up with people who don't have jobs and can't afford a gift for their loved one, or they can't get the day off, or their loved one doesn't take the holiday seriously and they don't feel loved. It's just a date on a calendar.

We pick up our troop's Girl Scout cookies on Saturday morning. Then the Little Red Wagon will loop the neighborhood trying to spread some Thin Mint love.

I've found Valentine's Day is more about my three kids exchanging cards and candy, which is fun.

Verbatim (cont.)

I refuse to succumb to the consumerism surrounding this Hallmark holiday.

Gosh, I wish this survey was a week earlier so it could provide inspiration. All it's doing for me now is heightening my level of stress! 😉

We'd be doing the same thing if it were a regular Saturday - it just happens to also be VDay. Otherwise, if VDay were on another day, most likely wouldn't specifically celebrate it.

My wife and I both think the whole day is silly, but our daughters like it, so we use it as an excuse to make chocolate fondue for everyone.

Our family celebrates each year with a family dinner to recognize our love. This was my husband's idea (I am not a romantic) and it has been a wonderful tradition.

This year's festivities will be centered around my friend's son's wedding. Social event Saturday night; wedding and black-tie reception on Sunday night...weather permitting. (I'm in the Boston area.) Happy VD -- spread it around. (That, of course, refers to Valentine's Day.)

I agree it is a "Hallmark" holiday, but how to tell your significant other that you want to stop celebrating this silly holiday?

Propaganda- could care less about it. My partner loves me all year and more importantly- i love myself just as much.

I usually celebrate Valentine's Day with my parents as it is also their wedding anniversary. This year they will be celebrating 67 years together!

I would like my spouse to be more original than celebrating the day of love when it's an obligation. We do not celebrate it for this reason.

I will volunteer with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program all day Saturday. After which I will treat myself to dinner with friends at a favorite restaurant!

Valentine's Day will be our 45th wedding anniversary - we'll be celebrating with lots of family and friends. We look forward to Valentine's Day every year!!!

Verbatim (cont.)

We have been together for 33 years, at some point in time, we decided to exchange cards and save the cash for another day. This year, we wait a couple weeks and visit our daughter for her birthday. (She recently graduated college and started her career a couple of hours away) We will have what they call a "MasterCard " weekend.... Priceless.

I'll be volunteering in the local VD clinic on Valentine's Day... the irony is all of this doesn't escape me.

We typically keep it pretty low key. It's a huge waste to buy flowers and dinner can be a hassle. But, he always likes the supply of Chocolate Chip Cookies I make for him for the freezer. It spreads the celebrating out for weeks!

My ex-husband told me he wanted to separate while we were at dinner celebrating Valentine's Day and then he wanted to know why I didn't get him a card.

I have been married for 2 years, together for 4, but my husband told me from the start he believes Valentine's Day is a "corporate holiday" and not to expect him to celebrate it. I've accepted his opinion, and Feb 14 comes and goes in our house. Then this year he starts seeing commercials for heart-shaped donuts and pizzas and making suggestions. No way, buddy. If I don't get anything, neither do you! 🙂

This is Birthday Month! My husband knows to put all efforts into my birthday (which falls the week before V-Day) and none into the silly holiday.

Usually my husband and I go out to dinner at our favorite restaurant. However, this year I'll be competing at an agility trial with my husband, so dinner will be eating take out in our hotel room. We'll probably have a nice dinner the next weekend we're home.

It's a "hallmark" holiday.

It is just a hallmark holiday

I am sure it is silly to some, but then again, they probably do not have anyone to share it with!

Used to be fun, now it's just pressure to make sure you have something to brag about to others. Not interested. I appreciate my husband every day of the year.

Sweetie is out of town. I'll be working, it is compliance testing season after all... and we have another snow storm coming Saturday nite.

I offered her my heart but she opted for the house, car, bank account...

Overrated commercial holiday, but a fine time to show appreciation for your lover.

My husband's family friendly employer (NOT!) is sending him out of town on Valentine’s Day for a business trip, so we will be celebrating on Friday night instead.