Thursday, February 03, 2011

On Valentine's Day

Once, I wore black on Valentine's Day. So did all the rest of my single friends. We were boycotting the holiday.

The year that I finally had a boyfriend in college, he was out of town at a wrestling meet. I didn't get any flowers delivered to me, either.

When I met my husband and we had our first Valentine's Day together, I was showered with gifts. He was determined to make up for all of the bad Valentine's Day experiences I had. In fact, he still sends me flowers for no reason but to make my day.

But I still hold a slight grudge against this holiday. In elementary school, it was fun since we had a party, made a Valentine's Day box for all our valentines, and drowned ourselves in sweets.

When you're a teenager and an adult, however, things start to look a little different.

So while my husband has cured me of my loathing for this holiday, I still refuse to go all buttery and gooey it. I think you should tell the people you care about that you love them every chance you get, not just on Valentine's Day. But I won't begrudge those who do love this day, even though it results in lots of stuffed animals that will eventually end up at Good Will!

I do have to admit, though, that the vintage valentines of yesteryear are adorable. I could see myself collecting these...




What about you? Love or loathe Valentine's Day?

16 comments:

  1. I do love Valentine's Day, maybe because it's a nice break from a long winter.

    I remember loving those little envelopes valentines came in--now the stores have the fold over kind. Not the same at all!

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  2. I love vintage Valentines too!!! Valentine's Day here is interesting. It is strictly a "couples only" day which is rather unfortunate for those who aren't in a couple! My husband and I have never really celebrated it. My idea this year, though, with the kids, is to make it a family day. We'll have a fun meal and give each other gifts. Any excuse... :)

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  3. I loathed it as a kid-I was still in mourning over Christmas being over.

    Now I like it because it's another chocolate driven holiday! I totally agree that we should tell people we care about that we love them every chance we get-not just on one day.

    And besides-the chocolate is cheaper the day after Valentine's Day:)

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  4. Love Valentine's Day. Any day that is about happiness and love and chocolate is okay in my book :)

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  5. That last Valentine reminds me of when i was in junior high and the kids that wanted to date called it "going around." DId I just date myself? Ack! I heart Valentines day. When I was a teenager my parents let me redo my room and I chose a Valentines theme. Is it a wonder I write love stories? Plus I love any excuse that lets me eat chocolate.

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  6. Hate to be the party-pooper, but I loathe. My sweetie and I have had a 21-year agreement to NOT celebrate Valentine's Day. He does darling things for me all the time (and I try hard to do the same for him)--Why would we need a special day?

    Then again, if I liked chocolate, I might feel completely differently. :)

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  7. Anonymous4:48 PM

    For a long time, my sisters and I called Valentines Day Singles Awareness Day, or S.A.D. for short. =P No, I don't go gooey for it, either. But all the same, I hope you have a wonderful one!

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  8. Oh I've been through phases with this one, sometimes I LOVED it too much, other times loathed it. Right now, if I get roses, that keeps me smiling, though it doesn't have to be Valentines day for that to happen.

    I think its wonderful that your hubby is determined to erase the past Valentines days. ;)

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  9. I love it. It's a great excuse to be all crafty and use pink and red and lots of glitter. V-Day gives everyone a reason to employ cheesy sayings with no fear of repercussions. I also LOVE seeing people receive flowers--in fact, I've always wanted to deliver flowers for the holiday. I think that job would be a great fit for me. :)

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  10. We are neutral about the day. Mr. Wonderful does romantic things throughout the year and does not want to be forced into something on Feb. 14. But, another holiday with chocolate = another opportunity to make dessert!!!

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  11. Jill - Oh, I loved the little envelopes, too. Guess they had to "streamline" the process!

    Erin - I think that's a great idea, to celebrate it as a family. And what better activity than to make homemade valentines for each other?

    Valerie - Chocolate driven holiday!!! LOL. Love it. If it's one thing I learned from this holiday, it's to tell those you love that you love them every chance you get. :-)

    Joanne - Agreed!

    T. Anne - I think we used to call it "going steady." It's funny how it's changed over the years, and how innocent it once used to be. Much better than the "hooking up" culture of today.

    Christine - *gasp* You don't like chocolate? Oh my. Well, I'll forgive you. ;-) Seriously, though, I think it's wonderful that he makes you feel special all the time. That's how it should be. :-)

    L.T. - S.A.D. I LOVE it. Haha!

    Talei - There's nothing like getting roses on that day. But then again, I love getting them on any day. :-)

    R.T. - When I was in college and lived in the dorms, Valentine's Day was the worst. There would be a ton of floral deliveries at the front desk and NONE of them would be for me. I used to feel so darn left out and, I admit, jealous of the girls that got bouquets and such. But I do think you would make an awesome flower delivery gal - you have the perfect attitude for it! :-)

    Jasmina - How right you are! I'm so happy to see that a lot of our significant others take the time to be special on every other day of the year. I love it when hubby surprises me with flowers or an impromptu gift. :-)

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  12. Melissa, if you love those vintage Valentines you should take a look at the Saturday Evening Post's website - they have the cutest collection of Valentine's Day covers!

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  13. Elisabeth - Oh, cool! I'll pop on over there. Thanks for the tip!

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  14. It's just another day to me. I like the approach of showing that we love someone any day of the year not just on Valentines Day. I do like those vintage Valentines cards, though!

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  15. I'm sort of indifferent. My wife and I never celebrate much.

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  16. Linda - Agreed! Every day should be Valentine's Day. :-)

    Travis - Nothing wrong with that.
    :-)

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