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Demon Debate

Demon Debate

Valentine’s Day is dumb
Leanna Coy
News Editor


I personally have always thought Valentine’s Day is annoying, and it might not be for the reasons you’d expect. In fact, I think Valentine’s Day is worse when you are in a relationship rather than single.


On Valentine’s Day, you must deal with seeing what feels like everyone you know proclaiming their love on social media. I tend to find ‘couple posts’ cringey anyway, but they reach a new level on Feb. 14. However, when you’re single, there is no pressure. You don’t have to plan a fancy evening or worry about buying anyone a gift. If you look around, you’ll probably find some friends to spend a good night with without having to worry about it being Valentine’s Day in the first place. (Hence the Valentine’s Day I spent at the Press Box my freshman year.)


In a relationship, especially a new relationship, planning a date on Valentine’s Day can be tricky. You don’t want to spend too much money on a gift for them and look too eager or clingy. At the same time, though, you don’t want to ignore the holiday and hurt their feelings if they think the day is a big deal. It’s also difficult because, in my opinion, most Valentine’s Day gifts look cheesy to begin with.


As for the night itself, any restaurant you go to will be crowded and the way you spend your time will feel like a subtle competition between you and your other friends that are in relationships.


Overall, relationship or not, I’d rather skip straight to Mardi Gras.

Valentine’s Day makes the economy great
Thomas Celles
Viewpoints Editor

A few days before Valentine’s Day, experts are anticipating that shoppers will spend approximately $27.4 billion dollars on their significant others and friends on Feb. 14, according to the National Retail Federation. This is an incredible jump compared to the previous trend, which has led to a slight increase from $18.6 billion in 2013 to $20.7 billion in 2019.

Last year, Valentine’s Day was the third most shopped holiday, after Christmas and Thanksgiving. Despite complaints from couples everywhere, the contribution to the U.S. economy and the discounts available at the majority of department and online stores are some of the biggest reasons why we should love Valentine’s Day.

Consumer spending is the backbone of the American economy, driving about 70% of the gross domestic product on average, according to CNBC. Understandably, holidays are some of the biggest days for shopping around the world.


Christmas shopping is considering the largest seasonal shopping period in the country, netting up to $700 billion in 2019, also according to the National Retail Federation. Valentine’s Day can’t really compare to that, but as the third largest, it’s nothing to sneeze at.


Because of the huge influx of shoppers, stores go wild with sales and discounts on products that they think would make great gifts. For instance, some jewelry stores cut prices as much as 85% and the candy prices (my favorite) are often ridiculously low.

There will always be people who complain about holidays for various reasons. The crowds at stores, the commercialization and the pressure of finding gifts are all valid reasons for disliking holidays. But just remember next time that your pink teddy bear is providing jobs and boosting the economy and you’ll be fine. If nothing else, you can find some great sales when shopping for yourself.

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