When did Valentine's Day turn into Halloween?

[Pooh93]

Yes, I think it is as overboard as all the holidays are these days. And I am guilty of contributing to it myself! But I figure as they get older some of this party stuff will taper off. I'll let you know if a few years!

In our home our DD never eats a treat or snack without asking first. NEVER.

Ours either.

Although, I was confused myself which holiday it was yesterday, because oldest dd ended up being sick and I had to go pick up her valentine's and goodies. In her valentine sack was a ROCK! One of the kids put dd's initials and drew a picture of a girl on it! Made me think of the Charlie Brown Halloween Special! I can't wait to find out which kid did that!

Sidenote totally unrelated to the thread: Also, I was heading to get my haircut last night and dd took some of the candy she got from school (and not just the stuff she didn't like ) and made a treat bag for our hairdresser all on her own! I guess she really is growing up! *sigh*

 

[MeanLaureen]

Funny, isn't that what Valentines day has been from the start? It is, by the way, a "Hallmark Holiday." Just like Mother's day and Father's day and all those other "day's" invented for the sole purpose of selling greeting cards

Time for an employee of Hallmark to chime in I guess since we are being accused of creating holidays.

Hallmark does NOT create holidays. Hallmark sells cards for holidays on the DEMANDS of customers! We will not make a card for a holiday if it is not considered a national holiday (so all the independant "teachers day", secretaries day other than the one in April, etc..) we will not produce cards for.

There are holidays that we actually have some demand for that we do not make cards for. ie: July 4th, Memorial Day. etc.

Hallmark is not stupid.. believe it or not a lot of money goes into making those cards and retailers cannot afford to shell out major money to buy cards for a holiday unless their customers have shown substantial interest. There is very little profit margin. Believe it or not, most of the mom and pop Hallmark stores do not clear much of a profit.

So.. the next time you get ready to blame a retailer for commercializing a holiday remember one thing.. if there was not a demand for it, it wouldn't be that way. We don't force anyone to buy a card if they don't want to.

 

[disneychrista]

Hallmark does NOT create holidays.

I didn't mean to offend you (or anyone else) "hallmark holiday" is a figure of speech, kinda like "e-ticket" attraction. I am not saying that Hallmark COMPANY invented the holiday. I am saying that Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Grandparents Day, Father's Day, Secretaries Day, Bosses Day etc., are holiday whose entire purpose seems to be for "card companies" to sell cards and "candy manufactures" to sell candy, etc.

 

[WilmaBud]

My kids attached lollipops to their classmates' Valentines. Harmless fun, if you ask me. When they came home with their bags of candy, I went through them and called dibs on all my favorites!! Yep, just like Halloween!

 

[pumba]

TOOTSIE ROLL POPS ROBIN.....ESPECIALLY THE RED ONES.....I THINK I WILL GO AND GET ONE NOW......my kids are 33 and 31 and the grandkids are 13 and 11 and we did Valentines day the same way the next generation did and our grandkids did......life just goes on and it is one day.....we always had a candy day.....my kids got a quarter (back then we had penny candy) and they could go to the store and spend the quarter on what they wanted....it was always Sunday. Our kids dentist took the idea for himself.....he had six kids....

 

[d.kurz]

http://www.milehimall.com/holiday/valentines-day-history.html

Here's a history of Valentine's Day. Seems people have been celebrating it for hundreds of years.

Buy more cards!!! Most card stores (including Hallmark stores) are SMALL businesses, independantly owned.

 

[Pam]

But I figure as they get older some of this party stuff will taper off.

You are all too correct, Pooh! By the time the kids hit 6th grade - the fun times and parties are over at school. I am one of those Moms that sent in treats and party bags for EVERY holiday for both of my kids' classes. I always figured that if you didn't like it, toss it. Quite frankly, it gave me and my children great joy in preparing the treats. We still occasionally fix treat bags and little gifts and take them to shut-ins and nursing home patients.

My two are now teens - I gave it my all during their younger years with themed birthday parties and surprises from Cupid, Santa, and the Easter Bunny. Those are some of their (and my) most cherished moments.

Life is too short - if you obtain joy from something so simple as a lollipop, heart pencil, and some finger puppets in a bag, I say go for it!

 

[CathyCanada]

I agree, Pam. It's only a big deal if we make it one. I miss those days........
CC

 

[Kelsie]

Great post Pam

 

[Pooh93]

Quite frankly, it gave me and my children great joy in preparing the treats. We still occasionally fix treat bags and little gifts and take them to shut-ins and nursing home patients

Us too! Plus it helped teach my kids to count in preschool! We'd make it an assembly line! I'd get all the stuff, they'd count out the treat bags, put one piece of something in each bag, til everything was done. I'd usually help tie them and they'd put them in a bigger bag or sack to take to school. They virtually did all the work! I like the idea about the shut-ins and nursing home patients. This may be something I look into. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Mermaid02]

As the Mom of a child with problem teeth I didn't appreciate all the candy coming home and the crying when I told him he couldn't have it. I don't buy candy and I don't like having a lot of it around. The occasional treat keeps it just that- a treat. I know that everyone's heart was in the right place when they gave these treats out on Friday- but I would have preferred there not be so much candy.