-
Men believe that the primary purpose is to
show caring and affection, but the holiday also exerts emotional pressure:
Men know that their partners are counting on them.
-
Men really enjoy the specialness of spending
time together
-
Men see Valentine's Day as more of a romantic
holiday, whereas women see it as an opportunity to reinforce all their
social relationships, acknowledging family and friends as well.
-
Though they might not tell you, Men really
love receiving presents on Valentine's day.
-
Men don't enjoy spending Valentine's Day alone,
and they don't like the commercial aspects of the holiday, though
they do enjoy the emotional closeness that can come from celebrating
the holiday.
-
Men are most likely to enjoy the day if they
are able to celebrate it in a low-key way.
-
But they really love the feeling of connection
they can share with their loved one.
-
For men with sweethearts, what they like least
about Valentine's Day is the feeling of obligation. Men are not the
traditional gift givers in our society (women are) and so they feel
the pressure to give something more intensely.
-
Men participate in Valentine's Day for three
main reasons
-
1) because they feel obligated by the
wider society (all the Valentine 's Day marketing)
-
2) because they know that they will get
rewarded (emotionally and physically) for their thoughtfulness
by their romantic partners
-
3) because they like making their sweethearts
happy.
-
Even though people usually spend less time
and money on gifts for annual events like birthdays and Christmas
than for weddings and anniversaries, Valentine's Day is an exception
because it is so symbolic and nearly exclusively romantic in its expression.
-
If it feels complicated to purchase a present
for Valentine's Day, it's because it is complicated. Those buying
gifts are making a statement about themselves, their partners, and
the meaning of their relationship-which is why it takes so much time
and thought.
Source:
Cele Otnes, Julie A. Ruth, Constance C. Milbourne, Leo Burnett. "The
Pleasure And Pain Of Being Close: Men's Mixed Feelings about Participation
in Valentine's Day Gift Exchange." Advances In Consumer Research,
Volume 21, 1994:159-164.
Robert Ruginbana, Brett Donahay, Chrisper Neal,
Michael Jay Polonsky. "The Role Of Social Power Relations In Gift
Giving on Valentine's Day." Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Sept.
2003, Vol. 3, Issue 1: 63.
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