Flowers, cards, and candy. When we see or hear these words, we immediately associate them with Valentines Day. Is that what it was like for our parents? Has our generation become accustomed to a commercialized
“Valentines Day has definitely become to commercial,” said Alice Santello, assistant bursar at Quinnipiac University. “The prices for everything at Valentines Day are tripled.”
Santello thinks that Valentines day shouldn’t be all about what you buy for that special someone like it is today, but how you show them you care is what matters most.
“Valentine’s Day is not just about cards and flowers, it’s about the nice things you do for someone,” she said.
Donna from Undergraduate Admissions agreed.
“There is so much pressure for jewelry nowadays,” said Donna. “Everywhere you look you see diamonds. There’s all this pressure for finer gifts instead of little heartfelt things.”
Bob Young, a reference assistant at the library, said he thinks Valentine’s Day is the same now as it was before. Young said when he was in college he remembers the flower sales and the valentine grams.
“The only thing that has changed is the internet,” he said. “Now you can send cards online.”
In agreement with Young is Louise Howe, associate director of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid at Quinnipiac University. She said it seems pretty much the same now as it was when she was in college, except that now one can send cards and order gifts online. However, she noted that who people celebrate Valentine’s Day with is a little different today.
“People tend to not celebrate Valentines Day with just their significant others anymore, but with their friends and family,” she said.
Russell Barclay, an associate professor in the school of mass communications thinks that everything has become commercialized nowadays. “Valentines Day may be the least commercial holiday out there,” he said. Barclay referred to the little sweetheart candies with writing on them as good public relations material. He said that when he was in college Godiva chocolates weren’t around.
“Now they are everywhere for Valentines Day,” he said.
Barclay also remembered that in college when you were “sweet on each other,” you would go out and buy Valentines.