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While some U.S. adults consider Cupid's holiday outdated, more say they love the romance and fun of Valentine's Day, and many expect to spend quality time with partners, friends and family.
A new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about three-quarters of Americans plan to celebrate Friday's holiday in some way this year.
More than half will be with a romantic partner, and about 4 in 10 will be with family. About 2 in 10 will celebrate with friends, and 15% say they'll mark the occasion in some other way.
Roughly one-quarter of Americans will not celebrate at all. People in a relationship are much more likely than those not in a relationship to say they’ll celebrate Valentine’s Day in some way.
Joseph Brubaker, a 38-year-old high school teacher from Raeford, North Carolina, sees ups and downs to Valentine's Day. He plans to fly to Ohio to spend it with his new girlfriend. They've been dating long distance for about two months.
“Typically it’s a greeting card holiday,” he said. “But the celebration of the emotional connection is great. That’s necessary for those in relationships. The corporations are so entrenched in it, though, and make you pay $60 for flowers that usually cost a lot less.”
At 74, retired science teacher Ian Ellis of Louisville, Kentucky, has never been married. Valentine's Day, in the traditional sense, doesn't do much for him. He plans to get together with a friend after the holiday, enjoying the Sunday buffet at a nearby restaurant.
“I'm pretty low profile as far as Valentine’s Day goes. I won’t be sending any card," he said.
Many Americans see Valentine’s Day as a romantic and fun occasion. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say “romantic” describes Valentine’s Day “extremely” or “very” well, while about one-third say that about “fun.”
Count 67-year-old William Betts of Oklahoma City in the romantic category. Married 40 years, he joked: “I’m actually the romantic one in the family. If I didn’t do anything, she probably wouldn’t notice.”
This year, he’ll be traveling 300 miles round trip to distribute meals for the food pantry he runs as a volunteer. He plans to make dinner for his wife and pick up some flowers at some point.
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