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North Carolina’s Favorite Way to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

The moment Christmas is over, the stores immediately get filled with all pink and red, offering Valentine’s Day gift options far and wide. Valentine’s Day, of course, falls on February…

The moment Christmas is over, the stores immediately get filled with all pink and red, offering Valentine's Day gift options far and wide.
Getty Images / Anna Ostanina

The moment Christmas is over, the stores immediately get filled with all pink and red, offering Valentine's Day gift options far and wide. Valentine's Day, of course, falls on February 14, which means you have less than a month to prepare for your sweetheart. Even those who don't have a romantic partner can celebrate Valentine's Day by doing something special for a friend or family member, and that attention is always appreciated. So, what's the state's favorite way to celebrate the holiday?

Celebrating Valentine's Day in North Carolina

At the heart of the holiday is St. Valentine. "We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition," History.com explains. "Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, friends and loved ones exchange flowers and gifts all in the name of St. Valentine."

They add that the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, and all of them were martyred. Valentine's Day is celebrated in a handful of countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia.

So, what's the most popular gift for this holiday across the U.S.? CBS researched search trends around the holiday and what they reveal about how Americans celebrate. "Chocolate is a special treat any time of the year and is definitely a hallmark of the most romantic day of the year," they note in the study. Flowers are also popular, with CBS noting, "They're both popular this time of year, but one of them is being searched for more than the other 24 hours before the big day."

As for the most popular gift on Valentine's Day in North Carolina, between flowers and chocolate, flowers clearly win. People in North Carolina opt for flowers over chocolate. According to CBS' study, all but six states are searching for flowers more than chocolate the day before Valentine's Day, searching for the perfect gift.

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.