Anyone else dislike "hallmark holidays"

[PrincessaC]

I have never heard of Sweetest Day? What is it and when?


oh and btw, my mother sends me cards for every single holiday...even halloween... it's funny... but I like it... Dh usually makes a comment about her obession with sending cards...

 

[marybet]

Don't have a child around mother's day. It was always the weekend we celebrated his birhtday and for years I had to have everyone at my house. And my mother made such a fuss over Mother's Day, I use to just hate it. I think you should be good to your mother all year not just one day. I also don't like to buy my MIL a mother's day card, she is not my mother and I think he should chose it, and we always send her a gift. Since my kids live in another state I do like to get a phone call.

My husband tells me he loves me everyday, I don't have to wait for Valentine's day to hear it. We aren't even doing cards this year.

 

[antbritt]

I totally cannot stand HALLMARK holidays for 2 reasons 1 is that I absolutely hate spending 4 dollars on a card that will end up in the trash the next day. and 2 I personnally think that if we all just treat each well ALLL year long we would not have to make up Holidays that are set aside for us to treat our loved ones like we love them. Just do it everyday and then we wont need SWEETEST Day or Valentines day!

 

[Sleepy]

I think the card companies need to come up with a line of cards for the *not so perfect* person. it sickens me to read those Valentines cards that say...

My world was nothing until you stepped into it

You have always been there for me

A day without you is like a day without air

I guess there are people out there like this, but I have not found them yet. For that reason, I have never bought a Valentines Day card.

 

[MeanLaureen]

I totally cannot stand HALLMARK holidays for 2 reasons 1 is that I absolutely hate spending 4 dollars on a card that will end up in the trash the next day. and 2 I personnally think that if we all just treat each well ALLL year long we would not have to make up Holidays that are set aside for us to treat our loved ones like we love them. Just do it everyday and then we wont need SWEETEST Day or Valentines day!

huh...

Valentines Day greetings became popular in the 15th Century

The first Mothers Day proclimation was issued in West Virginia by their Governor in 1910 (FYI - Hallmark is from Kansas City, MO) and the idea was credited to Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948)

Calvin Coolidge was the supporter of the idea of Father's Day in 1924 from a petition sent to him by Sonora Smart Dodd. It wasn't until 30 yrs later that Congress gave it an official recognition and President Nixon set it as the third Sunday in June.

If I'm not mistaken, Grandparents day was officially recognized by President Carter and it wasn't for some years before Hallmark made any product for it, and then only on demand

Sweetest day originated in Ohio in the 20's as a holiday to remember people in your life that may often get forgotten (what a horrible idea, huh? ) This is one holiday that was a brainstorm of a company.. a CANDY manufacturer (hence the Sweetest part). This holiday, for some unknown reason, became the champion of a lot of celebrities with stars like Ann Pennington giving out over 2200 Cleveland Newpaper boys small tokens of her appreciation. This holiday has remained popular in the midwest but goes all but unnoticed in the rest of the country. In areas like mine, I may have an offering of 10 cards. In Ohio.. it might be more like 10 feet of cards. Even then, it wasn't until the mid 60's that Hallmark gave into the demand and made cards for the occasion.

So.. no Hallmark listed there as the culprit for any of these holidays. And if you read above, in many instances there were decades and YEARS that a holiday was around before Hallmark started to produce any merchandise for it.

I'm off my soapbox now and ready to go run another 12 hour shift helping people celebrate another Hallmark Holiday.

This Prozac Message brought to you by Eli Lilly. Might as well start blaming manufacturers for everything you don't like, right?

Oh.. and to the poster that thinks it's a waste to blow $4 on a card.. FYI - the average HALLMARK (since you decided to capitalize the Hallmark in your post) card is $2.99 for holidays, $1.99 for everyday occasions. It's the other companies like Carlton and Am. Greetings that average that high. Plus there are always the 99 cent Warm Wishes cards.

 

[MeanLaureen]

Oh.. and for what it is worth - I am with you guys that feel like its hard to pick out cards for some people because you don't want to heap a bunch of undeserved praise on them.

Hallmark does need to come out with some more straight to the point "Happy fillintheblank cards with no mush or gush. They have it for everyday occasions but haven't mastered it for holidays yet.

 

[believe]

I personally don't mind the holidays. Throughout the year I have good intentions of sending cards and letting individuals know I care, love or are thinking about them. These holidays are a gentle reminder to me.

DH and I do not give each other material gifts for Valentine's day or Sweetest day...but we do make time for us, which through the course of the year sometimes gets forgotten. A reason I am thankful for those days!

As for Mother's Day and Father's Day....we celebrate the Saturday before, since we spend the actual day with our parents. This has worked out great.

I agree that if you don't like the current line of cards, make your own. I love when DH makes me a card.

 

[Serena]

I personally don't mind the holidays. Throughout the year I have good intentions of sending cards and letting individuals know I care, love or are thinking about them. These holidays are a gentle reminder to me.

DH and I do not give each other material gifts for Valentine's day or Sweetest day...but we do make time for us, which through the course of the year sometimes gets forgotten. A reason I am thankful for those days!

As for Mother's Day and Father's Day....we celebrate the Saturday before, since we spend the actual day with our parents. This has worked out great.

I agree that if you don't like the current line of cards, make your own. I love when DH makes me a card.

Amanda, I really like how you two do this.

 

[tandrjohn]

In our house, birthdays, Christmas, and Easter are really big celebrations. The other so-called "Hallmark" holidays are mostly ignored.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I do Mother's Day and Father's day, the rest I don't like.
I don't like Valentine's Day especially because what I think abut the people who have no family, spouse or partner? Why do we need a day so that the people who are alone can feel even more isolated while everyone else is exchanging flowers, cards etc.

By the way I'm happily married, so I'm not speaking for myself!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I don't really mind the other days, I think moms and dads should have a special day to honor them, and I've never known anyone who dealt with the others.

I don't like Valentines Day though. I don't know why, it just always seemed weird to me. I have friend (women) who absolutely FLIP OUT if they don't get what they want, and other friends who get depressed if they are not dating someone on Feb 14.

I totally forgot about Valentines Day this year. I had a Valentines Mickey antenna topper on my car too. And I still forgot.

 

[skiwee1]

As a employee of Hallmark, I feel the need to put in a little defense on this subject. This is a sore spot for me.

I can't tell you how tired I get from hearing people blaming my company for holidays.

Guess what? We don't make up the holidays - we WILL NOT even sell cards for a holiday unless it is declared a national holiday and even THEN, we may decide not to create cards for it.

More often than not we take grief from people because we don't sell cards for holidays like 4th of July or any of the hundreds of "appreciation" holidays that schools systems and towns start.

So if you don't mind.. please stop shoving the blame us. We are in the business to make money, and we don't make products unless there is a call for it. Blame the rest of the people that enjoy celebrating those holidays.

Go ahead and flame me if you want but I just got home from another 12 hour shift helping customers get just what they wanted for their loved ones for this pointless Hallmark holiday coming up

Well I love Hallmark and all the holidays too! I can mill around a Hallmark store for hours looking at all the cute stuff. I must buy $500 worth of cards a year from that place! LOL! Keep up the good work. I really appreciate it!

 

[Maleficent13]

For the record, I love Hallmark stores, and my family has been known to lose me in them. I will read every single card in them if left alone. I know, I'm a freak.

BUT...I dislike Valentine's Day. I have since I was 12, when the Key Club sold carnations and you could order them for your friends and have them delivered in homeroom on Vday. I noticed there were several people who didn't get any, and it upset me.

To me, Valentine's Day only serves to point out to those who are alone that they have no one. That is so depressing to me. I know my SO loves me everyday...I don't have to throw it in the face of anyone on this one particular day.

 

[Trish Bessette]

I am so glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks these holidays are worthless. A money maker for the card and flower industry that is all.

People laugh at me when they hear me say I can't stand Valentines Day. What bugs me so is having a "day" when you need to tell your special someone how much you love them......shouldn't that be done every day? Don't get me wrong, sadly I go along with it. Both DD's got a few presents this morning along with DH. And yes, I received the dozen roses.......

HOWEVER, I would much rather receive flowers on a day I don't expect them instead of getting them on Valentine's Day just because it is Valentine's Day.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I don't mind them. Though sometimes Mother's Day is an issue for DH and I because we both have crazy mothers, and picking out a card is a little difficult.

As far as Valentine's Day...we don't need a special day to celebrate our love, but for some reason DH gets excited about it, and who am I to rain on his parade. Every year we agree no gifts, and every year he can't help himself and he buys me something. He is off today (normal day off), and he says he some plans in the works (I am guessing he is cooking a nice, romatic meal tonight, even though he cooks most of the week anyway, LOL). He gives me little gifts and cards throughout the year for no reason, but he loves Valentine's Day. And I love him, so we will celebrate it.