“Something broke”: the Russians began to forget about Valentine’s Day
[ad_1]
Raise your hands, who woke up thinking that today is Valentine’s Day? And who was reminded of this by a loved one, bringing coffee to bed, ordering a bouquet, or doing some other sweet stupidity? Not to you? Congratulations, you are in the majority: this year, 76% of economically active Russian citizens of both sexes reported that they do not plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day in any way. To the greater displeasure of restaurateurs, jewelry stores and flower deliveries, and to much less displeasure of their significant others.
The trend is alarming, given that economically active Russians, approximately 20 to 55 years old, are mostly those who have been accustomed to celebrating St. Valentine’s Day since their school or student years. A box for valentines installed on the ground floor, counting postcards at the end of the day, indispensable intrigues and tears that accompany the first school love … You can say as much as you like that, they say, Valentine’s Day is not our holiday, but the fact remains: managed to grow up a couple of generations, for which he became very much ours.
Something broke – it does not pull to celebrate. Only 24% of Russians (for comparison: in 2019 it was 43%) intend to please their soulmate with something, but without chic. Muscovites are ready to spend 4000-4500 rubles on gifts, and Muscovites – 2000-2700 rubles (the difference is easy to explain: men do not need to give flowers!). In St. Petersburg and other million-plus cities, the budget is slightly less. Most of the gifts are quite predictable: sweets and soft toys, figured chocolate in the form of hearts and chocolate bouquets. Traditionally, gifts are popular, the purpose of which is to provide lovers with a passionate night: these are sex swings, perfumes with aphrodisiacs, themed board games for adults (do not play the bottle for stripping!) Or goods from sex shops.
It’s all trite. There is also an unexpected innovation.
“The most in demand in 2023 are voluminous toys that will help impress your significant other. The bestsellers are a plush 110 cm long loaf cat and a 160 cm long hug goose. Residents of our country spend an average of 1,500–2,000 rubles on the purchase of such toys,” one of the largest online stores said in a statement.
We are talking about toys in the style of dakimakura – huge pillows originally from Japan. Dakimakura are designed to hug them before going to bed – it is commonly believed that for psychological comfort. Dakimakura depicting anime characters are popular in Japan, someone prefers animals (remember the shark from IKEA), but in general, photo printing works wonders, and a pillowcase for dakimakura can be made with any portrait (headlines like “The Japanese began to fall asleep on Sharapova’s chest blew up the media in 2012). It’s easy – grab a photo of your unrequited love or a star you’re a fan of, order a pillowcase … and hug the night away! But what about Valentine’s Day?
The online store will never know if a person buys such a hug toy as a gift to someone or as a gift to himself to warm up lonely nights a little. The second option, sad, for some reason seems more plausible. The question immediately pops up: well, only 24% of Russians plan to give a gift, maybe the answer is that some other percentage (colossal!) simply does not have this second half?
It’s time to remember that the past 2022 was marked by a trend that many did not notice: on the shelves of perfumery and cosmetic hypermarkets, these women’s kingdoms, there were goods from the category “sexual wellness” – everything that was previously sold in stores under the sign “Intimacy” . Moreover, the lion’s share of these goods is skillfully disguised and is clearly intended not for double games, but only to please oneself; what are, for example, vibrators in the form of a duck or penguin! Indeed: why not create a counter where the ever-hurrying modern woman can buy everything she needs at once: washing powder, lipstick, and a vibrator? And not to run first to the household, then to the cosmetics store, and then to the sex shop (where a lot of women will be embarrassed to go, and they will also be embarrassed to explain what they need).
As we have already found out, gifts from “adult stores” in honor of Valentine’s Day are popular, but usually we are talking about equipment for couples sexual games. It is difficult to imagine a lady who will give her beloved man a “rubber woman” as a gift on February 14, well, perhaps as part of a joke that is very well understood by both. Well, dakimakura is the same imitation of close bodily contact, only in a slightly more innocent plane: not for sex, but for sleeping in an embrace. A well-known fact: falling asleep (especially when anxious) is much easier if you hug something big, soft and warm while doing this. Then how lucky: someone hugs a loved one, someone a cat, and someone a huge plush goose…
The quintessence of Valentine’s Day is the opportunity to hug your loved one. And all kinds of hugging geese as a gift for this holiday is a rather sad symptom. And plus one argument in favor of a trend that haunts many: it seems that in 2023 a person does not really need a person.
Newspaper headline:
Valentine’s Day
[ad_2]
Source link
