Anybody else just not into Valentine's Day?

[cabanafrau]

I don't mean because of a lack of someone special or relationship problems, but I'm just not into the whole hoopla. I really don't think I have been beyond the days of making the Valentine boxes in elementary school and picking out just the perfect set of cards for my friends. It just seems to cause so much letdown and drama for so many people, and for what?

 

[KimR]

I'm not into it at all, but I'm not above using it as an excuse to get DH to take me somewhere special for dinner.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I am not interested in manufactured, mandatory days of showing love.

DH and I have been married nearly 18 years and don't celebrate it beyond using it as an excuse to gift something small to the kids and (when they were younger) do a heart or pink and red themed meal.

I have no desire for overpriced flowers or chocolate of jewelry because the Hallmark says Friday is the day to do that sort of thing.

DH and I both do special things for one another when the mood strikes, or when the other is having a stressful time, etc. That is much more romantic and true love IMO

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

It's usually not a big deal to DH and I. He's deployed and was for the last two V-Days(whether for school or out of country). We seem to make a bigger deal out of it when we're separated!

 

[goofyintoronto]

I've never been into Vday. Not even when i was married/ had a spouse. I hated going out to dinner because the wait at restaurants would be SOOOO LONG. I always prefer a quiet dinner at home. I just hate to fall into the "you have to get your spouse a gift for valentines day because its valentines day" trap. Which is why i never wanted to make a big deal of it. We'd have a nice quiet dinner at home with a good movie. It was lovely! Thats my fave way of spending Vday.

 

[cabanafrau]

I am not interested in manufactured, mandatory days of showing love.

DH and I have been married nearly 18 years and don't celebrate it beyond using it as an excuse to gift something small to the kids and (when they were younger) do a heart or ink and red themed meal.

I have no desire for overpriced flowers or chocolate of jewelry because the Hallmark says Friday is the day to do that sort of thing.

DH and I both do special things for one another when the mood strikes, or when the other is having a stressful time, etc. That is much more romantic and true love IMO

This is pretty much my attitude. Somehow I really feel like it comes much more from a genuine place when I get flowers just because DH wanted to give me flowers. Generally we do some kind of token for Valentine's Day because somehow he always feels like I'll feel bad if he does nothing at all, so in turn I feel obligated to give hiim a token. This year we're celebrating our 25th with a vacation, so I've cleared it with him that we'll skip Valentine's. I probably should feel bad that makes me happy.

Ironically DH & I are on our own for Valentine's this year because of winter break and DD's trip and I am annoyed restaurants will be so crowded on Friday!

 

[NaLisa]

Happily married for 12 years, and we really don't "do" Valentine's Day, other than helping out with the kids' parties at school. I agree that celebrating V-day feels manufactured.

 

[BlovesC]

I've always loved Valentine's Day, because while every holiday is so incredibly commercialized, Valentine's is pretty much what you make of it. There are no major expectations or obligations and unlike other holidays it doesn't generally inspire family fights, create stressful schedules, lead to credit card debt, etc.

I'm one of those weirdos who bring in cards, candies, and homemade goodies (cookies, cupcakes) for everyone on Valentine's Day..when I was younger, I brought them to school. Now I give them to coworkers.

I think TV and movies have really fueled the animosity towards the holiday...that whole stereotypical "single girl wears all black on Valentine's Day and drowns her sorrows in a pint of ice cream!" angle shown in movies has always made me roll my eyes. I never had any qualms about celebrating the day when I was single. To me it's about more than just romance...it's about expressing fondness for those close to you, and sharing the LOVE for love.

100%, I prefer Valentine's Day to Christmas. I guess I'm just a weirdo.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Not into it here. We like to say every day is Valentine's Day for us. We do exchange cards, though, and on his way home from work, DH stops at Dunkin Donuts for 2 heart-shaped donuts for dessert. Yep, our Valentine's Day costs less than $5 and they're the best ones I've ever had!

 

[PrincessJo]

I don't get Valentine's Day at all. I actually feel bad for female co-workers who only get flowers or candy today because the DH feels pressured to do so. It shouldn't be like that.

In my house, EVERY DAY is Valentine's Day. We don't need it... even after 26 years I get flowers at odd times for no reason. It annoys some of my friends, but hey... they should have found a fella like mine.

 

[cabanafrau]

I've always loved Valentine's Day, because while every holiday is so incredibly commercialized, Valentine's is pretty much what you make of it. There are no major expectations or obligations and unlike other holidays it doesn't generally inspire family fights, create stressful schedules, lead to credit card debt, etc.

I'm one of those weirdos who bring in cards, candies, and homemade goodies (cookies, cupcakes) for everyone on Valentine's Day..when I was younger, I brought them to school. Now I give them to coworkers.

I think TV and movies have really fueled the animosity towards the holiday...that whole stereotypical "single girl wears all black on Valentine's Day and drowns her sorrows in a pint of ice cream!" angle shown in movies has always made me roll my eyes. I never had any qualms about celebrating the day when I was single. To me it's about more than just romance...it's about expressing fondness for those close to you, and sharing the LOVE for love.

100%, I prefer Valentine's Day to Christmas. I guess I'm just a weirdo.

I see your perspective and I applaud your enthusiasm. I do love doing thoughtful things for people in my life, but I guess in general I don't enjoy feeling I must do them per scheduled occasions, rather I kind of enjoy the unexpected chance to let someone know I thought of them.

Don't get me started on Christmas, I'm enjoying that less and less the past few years. I get such anxiety when I cannot come up with a good gift plan for people and every year my list seems to have another person who has become impossible to buy for. I'm starting to feel like I better watch it, because I'm about a Sweetest Day away from becoming the old crone sitting on her porch, yelling, hey kids, stay off my lawn!

 

[wiigirl]

I hate the expense and hassel/stress of it, but kinda like it when it actually happens.

 

[Minnesota!]

we do not celebrate it, either. It's kind of an "ick factor" day for us, actually..

 

[BeckyEsq]

I LOVE Valentine's Day. We got engaged 16 years ago so we celebrate it as one of our anniversaries. I always make a nice home cooked dinner and use it as an excuse to try some new recipes. And I make a fancy heart-shaped dessert. For breakfast I will make DD pink waffles with sprinkles. She has a heart-shaped chairbacker from Pottery Barn kids that will have some surprises in it when she wakes up--paperback books, a new DVD or 2, some candy. I make cute Valentine's with her picture on them to send to all her grandparents, aunts and uncles.

I have always loved it even when I was single. But I fully admit that is partly because I love pink and red. lol Also February is a miserable time of year around here and the distraction of a little fun is always welcome.

 

[kkandaj]

We don't really "do" Valentine's Day either, other than getting the kids a bar of chocolate (this is rare in our house) and helping with their school parties. Every year DH makes me a conversation heart poem, because he works with teenagers and it's one of their assignments in Language Arts class. It's always cute to read and the kids think it is really funny.

DH and I do special things for each other throughout the year when we feel it's right, just because. A few weeks ago I brought him home a new set of golf clubs because they were super cheap (70% clearance) and I guarantee he liked that more than any card or candy or watch I would bring him on Valentines Day.

DS' birthday is today (two days before V Day) and we came home from the hospital on Valentines Day. DH and I agree that he's the best Valentine we could've given each other and nothing can top that, so why try?

 

[daisy_77]

As a family, we try to make it fun. We put up pink and red hearts on the kitchen cabinets and my daughter enjoys picking out Valentines. We get our kids a small gift and some chocolate.

As a couple, my husband and I don't get too into Valentine's Day. I make a special dinner and dessert (for the entire family). Last year, he did get some roses for me. But we didn't exchange gifts.

We go on dates at least once a month, so I feel like those days are more important. I feel like Valentine's day is a fun day for the kids. I could take it or leave it.

 

[mamamary]

I do decorate the house. I decorate for all the holidays. Yesterday i brought my DD shopping so she could pick out a few things for her boyfriend. It was fun but I'm not into buying gifts for V. Day. I used to for the kids when they were smaller but they don't even get anything from me anymore.

 

[BlovesC]

I see your perspective and I applaud your enthusiasm. I do love doing thoughtful things for people in my life, but I guess in general I don't enjoy feeling I must do them per scheduled occasions, rather I kind of enjoy the unexpected chance to let someone know I thought of them.

I think that's why I love Valentine's so much...the emphasis is put so much on romance, no one else expects anything, so I get to be the surprising holiday fairy of chocolate and good tidings.

I hear you about Christmas. This year I had a hard time because it was my first holiday in a hospice agency and I was working with so many clients that couldn't afford food or clothing. I wanted nothing to do with the process of buying obligatory gifts for people who already have more than they need, but I didn't want to be a grinch about it. I tried to get my family and friends to focus on the meaning of the holiday and involve them in some of the holiday charity drives I was involved with in lieu of exchanging gifts, but no one would bite.

 

[MomofIndigo]

I am not into it. The most we do is a card for each other. This means more to me than anything else.

I am a secretary so I spend most of the day running around for my boss.

 

[ilovemk76]

One can do any holiday if they make it so everybody loves it. We celebrate but ne Ed go out to dinner. We do that all the time. We has a very nice dinner with friends last Saturday. It is not something special. A thoughtful card and get can be done without breaking the bank.

For us, celebrations are a fun part of life. We decorate for them and celebrate them but not in an over the top way.

I will probably be having lobster tail for dinner. It will be cooked by DH.