Valentine’s Day was Monday, February 14th, in the United States. It is a day loved by some, vilified by others, and celebrated, if not on the same day, by residents in over thirty countries around the world. Named in honor of Saint Valentine, it actually references several different Christian martyrs. The earliest record of romance associated with this date comes from the poet Geoffrey Chaucer’s 1375 work “Parliament of Fowls,” about the mate selection process of birds. While poetic analysis is beyond the purview of this blog, an application of sociology to Valentine’s Day is not.
In many parts of the world, Valentine’s Day is a day of conspicuous consumption, the public display of lavish and wasteful spending to enhance one’s social status. This is evident by looking at people’s willingness to pay dramatically higher prices for goods and services, even though they know the prices will return to normal the day after Valentine’s Day. For example, in the U.S., the cost of roses was as high as $75 or $100 a dozen in some locations. Even more dramatic was the price of a celebratory meal, with the cost of meat being 154% higher than last year. All told, the average American couple spent nearly $175 dollars celebrating Valentine’s Day in 2022.
As noted in the above definition of conspicuous consumption, social status plays an important role in the Valentine’s Day celebration. In this instance, social status, an individual’s position or rank within a social system, really refers to relationship status. Of all the days of the year, Valentine’s Day is the one in which being in a dyad, or group of two, is highly celebrated. One could even argue that on this one day of the year, it becomes one’s master status, the social position central to your identity.
Much of the preparation for the Valentine’s Day celebration takes place back stage, in a persons’ private world that they choose not to reveal. Whether it be hunting for the perfect gift, getting dressed for a night on the town, or shopping and cooking a special meal, the amount of time spent on Valentine’s Day front stage, a person’s public life that they reveal to the world (or their sweetheart) is relatively small. Arguably, Valentine’s Day is the ultimate day of impression management, an effort to control the impression others have of us. Not only do those with a significant other want to give their best impression, but those without a significant other want to give the impression that they are not bothered by their relationship status by celebrating their singlehood.
