Lilly Calman is not in the mood this Valentine’s Day for the flowers, chocolates or a romantic dinner for two, especially after a recent breakup. “I’m very angry,” said Calman, 26, adding that it had been painful to see all the holiday paraphernalia in store aisles.
She found a more fitting outlet for her mood this year: a fundraiser for San Antonio Zoo that will symbolically name a roach or rodent after an ex and feed it to one of the zoo’s animals.”The visual image of him getting eaten by a Komodo dragon is pretty satisfying,” said Calman, who donated $25 for the rat option. The annual campaign has raised over $235,000 since the zoo first ran it in 2020, underscoring the appeal of alternative Valentine’s Day rituals for people who are uninterested in the coupledom of it all.
The traditions of Valentine’s Day bring strong feelings, both for and against. Do you appreciate a cute tradition? Or do you hold it in contempt as a consumerist scam? Critics have blamed it for upholding a narrow-minded model of relationships as heterosexual and monogamous. But the holiday, and its spending, isn’t going anywhere.
Celebrations have broadened to include friends and family, pets and even yourself. Marketers are taking note, and trying to find more avenues that resonate with even the naysayers. The candy brand Sweethearts, for example, launched a “situationships” edition with blurred writing for those in undefined relationships. (They sold out quickly). What to do on Valentine’s Day itself, when couples clutching roses fill restaurants? Marco Di Pinto has organised an “Anti-Valentine’s Day” comedy show in London for the past few years. Comedians will encourage singles to share their terrible stories. Couples will – in good fun – be roasted.
Spending on romantic relationships still dominates the holiday, but demographics offer insights on a fringe that is growing. About 30% of Americans are single, according to a 2022 survey from Pew Research Center, and more than half of them say they are not looking to date. “Marketers alienating entire groups of consumers – not only is it bad for society, but it’s bad business in general,” said Angeline Scheinbaum, associate professor of marketing.
Even the self-care market, which has become a multibillion-dollar industry, now plays into the holiday. Searches on Etsy for “self-gift” before Valentine’s Day have increased 12% this year compared with last year. This year, after a breakup, Kim McCoy is taking some time to romance herself. She has bought herself some flowers and is planning to attend an “ecstatic dance” event with a friend.
She found a more fitting outlet for her mood this year: a fundraiser for San Antonio Zoo that will symbolically name a roach or rodent after an ex and feed it to one of the zoo’s animals.”The visual image of him getting eaten by a Komodo dragon is pretty satisfying,” said Calman, who donated $25 for the rat option. The annual campaign has raised over $235,000 since the zoo first ran it in 2020, underscoring the appeal of alternative Valentine’s Day rituals for people who are uninterested in the coupledom of it all.
The traditions of Valentine’s Day bring strong feelings, both for and against. Do you appreciate a cute tradition? Or do you hold it in contempt as a consumerist scam? Critics have blamed it for upholding a narrow-minded model of relationships as heterosexual and monogamous. But the holiday, and its spending, isn’t going anywhere.
Celebrations have broadened to include friends and family, pets and even yourself. Marketers are taking note, and trying to find more avenues that resonate with even the naysayers. The candy brand Sweethearts, for example, launched a “situationships” edition with blurred writing for those in undefined relationships. (They sold out quickly). What to do on Valentine’s Day itself, when couples clutching roses fill restaurants? Marco Di Pinto has organised an “Anti-Valentine’s Day” comedy show in London for the past few years. Comedians will encourage singles to share their terrible stories. Couples will – in good fun – be roasted.
Spending on romantic relationships still dominates the holiday, but demographics offer insights on a fringe that is growing. About 30% of Americans are single, according to a 2022 survey from Pew Research Center, and more than half of them say they are not looking to date. “Marketers alienating entire groups of consumers – not only is it bad for society, but it’s bad business in general,” said Angeline Scheinbaum, associate professor of marketing.
Even the self-care market, which has become a multibillion-dollar industry, now plays into the holiday. Searches on Etsy for “self-gift” before Valentine’s Day have increased 12% this year compared with last year. This year, after a breakup, Kim McCoy is taking some time to romance herself. She has bought herself some flowers and is planning to attend an “ecstatic dance” event with a friend.
