Written by Asher Evermon, Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day is a time of the year where money is spent on cards, owers, and presents to give to someone we admire. In 2019, gift givers spent more than $20 billion on the holiday.
Students at Indian Trail High School & Academy have many different views on what Valentine’s Day is and how they celebrate it.
“It’s nice to have a day to show appreciation to your sig- ni cant other, but you can also appreciate your significant other a different day,” said Indian Trail High School senior Nicole Bergendahl.
Bergendahl’s view may correlate with a larger trend nationally. According to The National Retail Federation, in 2019 an estimated 51 percent of Americans celebrated Valentine’s Day. Ten years ago, that figure was 60 percent. The organization predicts the percentage will grow smaller with each Valentine’s Day that passes. A big reason behind this loss of interest is due to the over-commercialization of the day, researchers said.
This lack of regard seems to be dismal at IT. In a recent poll taken at Indian Trail Highschool and Academy, 111 students were asked questions concerning Valentine’s Day, only 14 percent of students choosing not to celebrate the day.
Despite the waning interest of many Americans, the amount spent on Valentine’s Day is expected to reach an all time high in 2020 with $20.7 billion spent overall. Among the 111 students surveyed, 61.3 percent were planning to spend $25 as the max for a gift. A majority of this cost looked to be spent on candy or a night out according to the survey.
Teenagers seem to spend very minimal money for Valentine’s Day, but children have a very different mindset on the day.
“Valentines Day was more of a big deal when I was in elementary school. They had us bring in candies and cards for our classmates, but as I got older it just became another day,” said IT Communications senior Brenda Murgia.
On the majority of children’s minds during Valentine’s Day isn’t the need for a significant other. It was the thought of making a Valentine’s Day card that everyone would love and to get as much candy as they could from their classmates.
The majority of students at IT are looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Whether it be 47.7 percent who are looking to spend it with themselves or the 34.2 percent who have a significant other. The older you get it seems the less committed you are to Valentine’s Day. The day still seems to shine vibrantly within teenagers even if they chose to not celebrate it the traditional way. Many without a significant other are spending the day for themselves or with friends.
Overall Valentine’s Day may be losing the stigma it once had and continues to dwindle with each coming generation. Yet the spirit for the holiday still seems to be strong in many.