On February 14th, more than any other day of the year, romantic couples shower their better half with gifts as a way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. Many refer to this day as the “Day of Love.” Though there are several stories revolving to the history of Valentine’s Day……most of us jump on the Bandwagon and celebrate it.
This is a day that most relationships come to an end, more so in this era where people are dating multiple partners at a go, hence they can’t keep up with the trend of spending the entire day with their “better half”. Lots of people can relate to the ‘Nairobi’ hit song by Bensoul featuring Mejja, Nvirii the storyteller and Sauti Sol. This song paints out how our relationships have evolved in society as compared to the traditional style of dating.
This shows how cheating has been normalised and loyalty is hard to find. In relationships, the existence of loyalty is absolutely paramount. Loyalty to your partner contributes to the relationship’s success. In this day and age, temptation is everywhere and quite frankly, it’s easy for people to be disloyal if they choose to. In any relationship, it’s important for both parties to be on the same page about loyalty, what loyalty means and why loyalty is critical in relationships.
That aside, I pause and ask myself: Is Valentine’s Day a woman’s holiday? It may appear a difficult argument for some that the day is for men as well. The traditional gifts of roses and chocolates, the general theme of love and romance - these are things that society largely views (and media largely depicts) as female desires and pursuits. It is seen as a day when boyfriends/men should spoil their girlfriends, when in reality it should be seen as a celebration of all kinds of love.
At the present, the internet is buzzing with “where to take her” for Valentine’s Day and “what to gift her”. It’s unavoidable that the day has grown to be associated with women, a stereotype that the woman needs to be doted on more than the man. Women tend to celebrate the day more emphatically than men when it comes to the number of gifts purchased for lovers and friends, while men tend to purchase less heavily but spend more money on what they buy.
With all the emphasis on Valentine’s Day being a girl’s holiday, many lose sight of how much work the guy puts in to make this special for her. This should be considered a guy’s holiday because of his role in pleasing his significant other. I can only imagine the pressure that comes with roses to buy, dinners to plan, what size of bear to give or jewellery. And in most cases, the guy does not get credit for the effort put in.
Valentine’s Day should not be centered on women, rather this day should be for both halves of every couple, despite whatever gender we associate it with cut-out hearts and the colour pink
FAQs
Women tend to celebrate the day more emphatically than men when it comes to the number of gifts purchased for lovers and friends, while men tend to purchase less heavily but spend more money on what they buy.
Is Valentine's Day more for the girl or guy? ›
A new survey by One Poll showed that half of men questioned expected their partner to put in max effort for Valentine's Day. Only 36% of women felt the same. In Today's Talker — it seems men care more about Valentine's Day than women do.
What gender spends more on Valentine's Day? ›
Not only that, Valentine's Day tends to be the most popular day to get engaged. Spending differs by gender and age. Men spend more on Valentine's Day ($200+), while women usually spend less. Millennials are the biggest spenders, with those in that age group planning to spend around $300 on the holiday.
Is Valentine's Day a man-made holiday? ›
It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
Does the girl get the guy anything for Valentine's Day? ›
It's simply not true that Valentine's Day is the day for only women to receive gifts and tokens. The idea of spoiling your boyfriend on Valentine's Day isn't necessarily about how much money you are spending but about saying to your boyfriend that you love and appreciate all that they do in your relationship.
Is Valentine's a boy or girl holiday? ›
With all the emphasis on Valentine's Day being a girl's holiday, many lose sight of how much work the guy puts in to make this special for her. This should be considered a guy's holiday because of his role in pleasing his significant other.
Should the guy plan Valentine's day? ›
Get cool gift ideas for the woman you love at Dodo or Gifts.com. Realize that it's not all up to you to plan. “Though 57 percent of men think the dudes are supposed to plan V-Day, 68 percent of women say the couple should come up with something together.
Who spends the most on Valentine's? ›
Ages 35-44 sweet spot for Valentine's spending
Although consumers age 35 to 44 are expected to spend the most on their significant others, they're also expected spend the most on gifts for pets.
Who receives the most Valentine's day? ›
And how sweet: Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards annually, followed by children, mothers and wives.
Why is Valentine's day important to girls? ›
For women and their female friends, Valentine's Day is mostly about honoring the remarkable relationships that exceed romantic relationships. This day is dedicated to expressing love, thanks, and appreciation to those who support them no matter what.
(Some interpret Sweetest Day as being a day to give sweets and gifts to boyfriends and husbands since they consider Valentine's Day to be traditionally focused on women as the recipients of such things).
What is Valentines Day for guys called? ›
It is called Guylentine's Day. Guylentine's Day is to be celebrated the day after Valentine's Day, February 15, and what better year to start this new tradition than on a Saturday, which everyone knows are for the boys.
Who gets the most Valentines on Valentine's Day? ›
And how sweet: Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards annually, followed by children, mothers and wives.
What is the male version of Valentines Day? ›
The celebration of Palentine's Day has since been created as a male alternative. This holiday recognizes how important friendships are to our everyday lives and embraces the non-romantic celebration of love, loyalty and support.
