Valentine's day is akin to blackmail

[ohiodemocratic]

Businesses tell you, "buy flowers, gift cards, expensive clothing, diamong rings, etc. or else...your partner will be very upset."

[MellowDem]

1. My gf and I don't celebrate it...

for exactly that reason. Plus, we really don't have much money right now to be too extravagant anyways.

[Captain Hilts]

2. I agree. It's a racket. Buy them, if you like, on other days of the year. nt

[malaise]

3. Well if you and your partner allow businesses or the media

to tell you what will upset you, then you deserve to be blackmailed. :D

[backscatter712]

4. I'm not celebrating Valentines Day. I'm observing Singles Awareness Day.

Happy SAD!!!

[Mari333]

5. I always ignore it.

from 'ShitMyDadSays' "Nah, we don't celebrate it. Don't know who St. Valentine was, don't give a shit, and doubt he wants people screwing in his memory"

[endless october]

6. i have disliked Valentine's day since being single.

however, a local bar has booked my band for the Valentine's day bash two years in a row now, so i actually don't dread the day anymore. had a great gig last night, and that's enough of a Valentine's Day present for me.

[peacebird]

7. if my partner got upset over not getting gifts on v-day, then I would have bigger problems...

and might well be better off with someone else....

:hi:

fortunately he doesn't care about v-day any more than i do - which is not at all!

[EFerrari]

8. They try to do that with every celebration. Don't allow them to steer you.

:hi:

[MadHound]

9. And you allow businesses to control your life?

Do what you and your partner want to do. If you want to get something for them, go for it. If not, fine. But don't let businesses dictate your life.

[Chemisse]

10. We are skipping V day this year

Usually it is just candy and a card, but this year we opted out entirely. I still felt compulsed to send my husband a loving text message though. :)

[Chemisse]

18. Oh my god! He brought me something!!

Now I am the only one who skipped it. :(

[FLyellowdog]

11. My sweet son Facebooked that

every day with his wife was Valentine's Day....don't know where he got this devotion from...certainly not his dad. I got no cards, no candy, no flowers. Of course, I didn 't really expect to after 42 years. I'm lucky if my spouse remembers my name. But no whining here...at least not about this holiday. :hi:

[madmom]

13. LOL same here. he actually remembered my birthday this year BEFORE it passed, but I think

it has something to do with the kids saying it was the same day as the superbowl that helped him.

[Dr.Phool]

12. It's very painful.

I suggested to my wife earlier that she take me out, and buy me margaritas for Valentines Day.

She said, "OK, but I'll have to look better first".

I said, "You will after a few margaritas". Uh oh.


:wow: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. It is the worst holiday in the world.

If you have a spouse/SO/partner you get all stressed out about how to celebrate The Big Romantic Holiday. Do you buy flowers and a funny card? Flowers, chocolate and a funny card? Just a funny card? Will they be hurt by a funny card if they were expecting a romantic card? Do you go out for dinner at a nice restaurant where a strolling violinist serenades you? Do you stay home and slather each other with scented oils and hump your brains out? Does one partner expect all that stuff while the other doesn't care? Is somebody going to be disappointed? Or maybe overwhelmed and uncomfortable?

Or, if you're a loser like me with no spouse/parter/SO, you mope and brood about how you don't have anybody to buy flowers, cards or chocolate for, and nobody's going to get any of that for you, and you sit home by yourself, eating take-out Chinese and/or a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, imagining that everybody in the whole world is having a wonderful, romantic holiday except for you.

So V Day sucks, no matter what.

:(

[AlienGirl]

15. I get the thrill of being another year older on it, as well!

[babylonsister]

19. Happy, happy birthday to you!

:party: :toast: :party: :toast: :party:

[LeftishBrit]

23. Happy Birthday!

[onenote]

16. i didn't realize that i was supposed to get all stressed out

my spouse and I enjoy it as an excuse to get each other silly cards and make a nice dinner together. Pretty much the same thing we do on birthdays, our anniversary, christmas eve, etc. Never really thought of it as stressful.

[REP]

26. Same here

My husband's not a card-buying type, but he always does something for Valentine's Day. I enjoy making cards for my friends and family. No stress; just fun.

[Odin2005]

27. Happy Birthday!

[EmeraldCityGrl]

28. It was also a cruel holiday back in the day when

kids gave Valentines only to the kids they liked. Schools don't allow this anymore.

Also, hope no one takes this the wrong way but, I feel bad for the people that didn't get hearts
on DU. Hope everyone has one now.

[vadawg]

17. rofl as someone who totally forgot about it due to work and the wife being snowed in

i can guarentee my wife will be very upset :) i got a feeling shes going to maui as a make up..

[JVS]

20. A couple can agree not to do V-Day or do it at some other time.

[Urban Prairie]

21. Valentine's Day is legit, IMO.

But not "Sweetest Day" which is a faux Valentine-like day that was cooked up by chocolate makers, Hallmark and florists, IMO. I thought I read a few years ago that SD is not recognized in every part of the US, however.

[CBR]

22. It really is not that big of a deal. We each spent about $10 on

sweet cards and candy. We went to brunch. It is a nice reason to spend the day cuddled up watching the Olympics rather than cleaning.

[rurallib]

24. We celebrate 3 holidays here

Independence day, Halloween and christmas.

[jkshaw]

25. We always have a Valentine's Day meal -- meat loaf,

gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower and for dessert this year --

apple & peach bread pudding! The mister helped prepare it; the daughter cleaned up afterwards. Much more fun than candy and flowers.

[JackDragna]

29. The best Valentine's day event happened in a Chicago garage.

eom. :)

[dysfunctional press]

30. and christmas isn't...?

:shrug:

[quaker bill]

31. While I never tell anyone such a thing

being one who designs and makes jewelry as a second career, the day is not without its upside.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

37. That's cool! Handcrafted jewelry!

However, because I took a couple of GIA courses (Diamond Grading and Colored Stone Grading), I rant about the brainwashing that goes on from DeBeers and the jewelry stores that sell what I call "fish gravel". Really crappy diamonds and other gems that really should be die and come back as a grinding wheel. I once worked in a department store that had a lease dept. that sold really awful jewelry. I was ashamed of it. None of it was graded and the people who worked there did not know what a 10X jeweler's loupe was. Idiots!!

Warning: Finlay Fine Jewelry (the lease company) is a total ripoff.

I hate the stupid jewelry store commercials since they are selling overpriced junk that has been marked up three times. And still isn't worth anything.

I was formerly married to a guy who hated Valentine's, Christmas, and birthdays, because, he said "They're telling me I have to give a woman something on those days, and I don't want them to tell me when to give a woman something". Translation: He was a cheap bastard who didn't get me anything for any of those days, and wondered why I was upset. He accused me of being greedy when I said that a five dollar mug would mean that he remembered.

One of the many reasons he is a former husband.

[surrealAmerican]

32. This is the same thing businesses tell you all year ...

... every year. Advertising is blackmail!

You don't need to let advertising dominate your life today or ever.

[NoGOPZone]

33. Some people get depressed if they're not romantically involved come Valentine's Day

but as you've shown, there are certain advantages. ;-)

[liberal_at_heart]

34. You don't have to buy into it

My husband is giving me a massage for Valentine's Day. I'd take a massage over a flower or card anyday.

[GentryDixon]

35. I did not get my other anything.

Nonsense.

[pipi_k]

36. We don't celebrate it here either

I think it's stupid. I've told Mr Pip not to even bother getting me cut flowers, never mind spending upwards of $50 for roses...for any reason.

And no candy, either. My ass doesn't need it.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

38. Hey, OP, have you ever heard of "communication"??

Like, maybe talking to your lady to see what she wants to do??

[jxnmsdemguy65]

39. If you have an SO, just get 'em a simple or funny card...

no need to make a big deal about it. BTW, it is fun to look at some older valentine cards... http://collectibles.about.com/od/valentinecollecting/ig/Vintage-Valentine-Card-Art--/