Valentine’s Day is taking the city of Starkville and the Mississippi State University community by storm, with a flurry of pink and red gifts and flowers.
Valentine’s Day is a tradition consisting of couples going out on very special dates. It also involves many gifts given by people to their significant others in their lives, whether it be husbands, boyfriends/girlfriends or fiancées.
Some gifts range from floral arrangements and cards to chocolates, teddy bears and even engagement rings. It is a day people take time to show love for the special someone in their lives.
With Valentine’s Day approaching on Wednesday, there are many businesses throughout Starkville offering specials to promote their brands ahead of the holiday. There is expected to be a mass-influx of customers who want to go all-out for their dates.
One of those businesses is Montgomery Jewelry, located on Main Street in downtown Starkville. Michelle Sharp, one of the store’s employees said the past week was busy for them because a lot of male customers come in looking for ideas.
“[We have sold] a lot of engravable items and hearts have been pretty good because it symbolizes the holiday, you know,” Sharp said. “Bar stones also are a good piece that we sell.”
Additionally, Sharp said there are some specials customers should know about.
“We’ll give you a 20 to 30 percent discount on any purchase that’s already in stock,” Sharp said. “If we can help anybody with that, we’ll be glad to give them some ideas.”
A popular gift given on Valentine’s Day is floral arrangements. With this, there are several florists in the area preparing for the big rush. One of them is the florist located inside the Kroger on Highway 12 in Starkville. Elsie Short, the lead floral clerk, said she is 50 to 60 percent busier than normal, ensuring everything is ready for Wednesday.
“We do a superb job here at Kroger to make sure that all our customers are satisfied and happy with what they walk out of the door with,” Short said. “We have a great selection of balloons, cards, gift cards, arrangements, just whatever you need.”
As for how some students plan to spend the day with their significant other, the popular choice is going out to eat at a fancy restaurant or cook a fancy dinner.
One of the students who has a plan for his date is Chase Gibson, a senior civil engineering major from Biloxi.
“I’m planning on taking her to a nice dinner,” Gibson said. “I’m also planning on getting her some chocolate and some flowers.”
While the guys plan the elaborate Valentine’s Day date for their girlfriends/wives, their girlfriends are usually the ones kept guessing.
However, there are students like Hannah Harris, a senior communication and Spanish double major from Columbus, Georgia, said she knows what she wants from her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day.
“I asked for a rose and chocolate,” Harris said. “And I think we’re going to cook dinner and maybe (drink) some wine, because I love red wine.”