Valentine’s Day is a day for romance for those people lucky enough to be in a romantic relationship.

But, for those who have no significant other in their lives, it might help to know that a new poll of state residents by High Point University (HPU) found that there are quite a few of you single people out there, and also that there are a lot of different ways people approach V-Day.

The poll about Valentine’s Day and related matters found, among other interesting tidbits, that only slightly more than half of the people polled – 56 percent – say they’re currently in a romantic relationship.  The poll also found that roughly the same percentage of North Carolinians – 54 percent – enjoy giving gifts for Valentine’s Day and that 58 percent give gifts only to a romantic partner.

Also, according to the new poll, 26 percent see the gift-giving practice as a negative aspect of the day.

When people across the state were asked to rate the phrase ‘I enjoy the Valentine’s Day holiday’ on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), 39 percent  said that they agreed – that is, they gave it a rating of 5, 6 or 7. About a third of  those responding rated it a 4, and just over one-quarter – 27 percent – disagreed with the phrase and rated it a 3, 2 or 1.

Even some people who are now in a positive romantic relationship don’t like the holiday because of the pressure to find a perfect gift or the tough task of figuring out the right romantic gestures to show their love for their partner.

One professor at HPU argues in favor of the gift-giving tradition.

“A lot has been said about the commercialization of Valentine’s Day,” stated Associate Professor of Psychology Sadie Leder Elder in a press release accompanying the poll results.  “However, I agree with the majority of our participants that gift-giving is a positive part of the Valentine’s Day tradition and celebration. I don’t think it is a matter of spending a lot of money or buying particular items but rather taking time out of our busy lives to acknowledge and recognize our partner.”

Elder added, “Relationship researchers have demonstrated the many beneficial aspects of investing in our romantic relationships. Small behaviors that generate positivity and provide assurance of your commitment and love can go a long way to promote relationship satisfaction and stability.”

 The poll also found that 40 percent of those responding said they give Valentine’s Day gifts to family members, co-workers or friends.

A big majority – 82 percent – said they don’t typically participate in friendship celebrations on Valentine’s Day.

The HPU Poll also asked those in a relationship how satisfied they are with that relationship. A large majority of the people in a relationship, just over 80 percent, said they are either “extremely” or “very satisfied” with that relationship, though it’s not clear how many people took the poll with their partner within listening distance.

In other findings, 16 percent of those in a relationship said they are “somewhat satisfied” and only 2 percent said they are “not too satisfied” or “not at all satisfied.”

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