Candy Is Dandy but Blogging Doesn’t Rot Your Teeth
Please indulge me rerunning the same post from last Valentine’s Day. I kinda still heart it:) Apologies to the few among you who were actually reading my blog way back then! ~~~~~~Thanks for sticking around. I kinda heart you too.
Call me Scrooge – I don’t like Valentine’s Day.
My first memories of the ‘holiday’ are from when I was in elementary school and we made little mailboxes to put on our desk. Then we walked around the classroom and delivered valentines to classmates. But those were the days before political correctness, and I was well aware of each valentine that didn’t arrive in my box. Not great for the self-esteem.
By the time I outgrew that horrible custom, I was well into my wallflower years, and never had a beau on Valentine’s Day. I felt left out and that surely there must be something wrong with me. I bought my own candy hearts.
Then there was the year that my older brother decided to send an unprecedented card to our grandmother. This was new! Grandma called Mom and said, “How nice that I got a card from ‘older brother.’ How is Karen?” Mom made me go to the store and send a belated card. That started the annual custom of cards for grandmothers, a custom I grew to love despite its origins in teenage embarrassment and sibling peer pressure.
I don’t remember my first Valentine’s Day in a relationship, but know I must have been very excited. Finally, someone to “Be Mine.” And probably that excitement carried over for another year or two. But I am a cheap pragmatist and eventually got annoyed at what I consider to be a fake holiday, forced on the general masses by card and candy manufacturers. Have you noticed how the price of roses goes way up that day?! Why should the calendar and society dictate that once a year I must recognize my love for my husband in a socially standardized way? Cheap and rebellious are a deadly combination for valentines. At some point in our marriage, my husband and I agreed that we knew we loved each other and therefor a simple card was enough to say it on that national day of love declaration. Okay, it probably started because I balked at the expense of flowers or because I was on a diet and didn’t want to be tempted by chocolate. The reasons don’t matter, the end result is the same. We bend to society pressure, but just a little. Could you imagine if we didn’t acknowledge the day at all?
My best Valentine’s Day gift was actually a gift I never got: Many years ago DH planned to send me flowers the day before the holiday. He intended to write on the card something about loving me everyday or that everyday was Valentine’s Day with me. But somehow his plans didn’t come to fruition so he ended up just telling me about it instead. I actually thought the sentiment was so great that I gave him points just for the idea:)
In case you think I am entirely a lost cause with no sentimentality at all, I will report that I do still give Valentine’s Day cards to the beloved people in my life. (And I cannot resist a little candy treat for my sons.) Hopefully they all know how much I love them… every day of the year, not just this one.
And to you, dear readers – I will break with my Scrooge-like traditions and wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. Every day is sweeter with you in it; no candy needed:)
I too don’t like Valentines day. Had no fond memory of it and so today is just another day if you ask me.
But because you are wishing us a happy one, I do too for you.
blackhuff recently posted..Did you see yourself as this overweight
My wife and I have even stopped the cards, a simple verbal “Happy Valentines Day” wish is enough for us.
My husband found me a card with Mickey and Minnie Mouse riding a bike together:)
I was never into any of this—until the child :)
off to don a pink sweater and giggle the day away.
xo
Miz recently posted..Happy I LOVE YOU Day giveaway post
Being parents changes so many things:) Hope you enjoyed the giggles.
Karen, like you, when I was young, it was awful cause I was not so popular & no, did not get all the cards in class.. then in junior & high school, no boyfriend & it always made me feel left out.. this dang holiday!
But with the hubby & when we started together & after.. flowers & a card or a card & a little something.. it was nice.
I can understand how others may not like it…
With && issues right now, it is all about the love & that is just fine! Always a little something for the grandkids…
Jody – Fit at 53 recently posted..Meditation & Valentines Day!
We did gifts early on too. Oh the pressure! Now the only pressure is to find the right card:)
I like that commercial this year that says valentines day is for celebrating us. I think that says it all. I tell hubby not to buy the overpriced flowers and I don’t need candy lol.
happ vday!
Years ago when my husband got me flowers for any occasion I was torn between loving that and hating that he wasted the money!
I look at Valentine’s Day as way to support the greeting card industry. I still try to find unique cards (usually several) to give my sweetie. Chocolates are no longer on my list. This year even my sweetie rejected my offer to make chocolate covered strawberries! (Tami has a great recipe http://nutmegnotebook.com/ )
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I saw that post and told Tami that chocolate covered strawberries are one of my very favorite foods! My husband and I used to get several cards for each other… he used to work for a card company.
Love this because I think of Valentine’s Day as a fake holiday – Hallmark style. More parallels between us revealed – never had a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day til I was in nursing school. Restaurants are packed worse than Mother’s Day. Overall I give it a BFD rating, if you’ll excuse my French! Oh – and I do give cards and treats to my kids and hubby, though our anniversary is Feb 13th, and that’s our REAL day to celebrate love.
Leslie recently posted..If not now- when
LOL on you rating:) Yep, a fake holiday IMO. But I am just not a romantic, I guess.
This made me smile. Thanks Karen.
I was always sick on V’s Day. I don’t remember ever being in school for the big day. Maybe that’s the time of year my body breaks down, or maybe it was all in my mind!?!
Being single for the past 4 years, VD is not a favorite of mine… :P
This was a great rerun! It is a Hallmark holiday and shoved on us by the retail world!
I do still like to make a special dinner for my family, eat something chocolate and let my loved ones know (just like I try to do everyday), how much I love having them in my life!
But when I think about it I usually do make them a nice meal most days of the week so they are really spoiled!
Funny you say that because I was thinking of you when I was running errands today. And how you always have such amazing meals. Healthy and delicious. I wish I liked to cook:(
My theory is that Valentines is for those people that are not in the greatest relationships that have to be reminded of why they are together. The rest of us celebrate our relationships enough that we don’t need a fake holiday.
Michelle Saunderson recently posted..Day 6 of the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up
I’m not a big anniversary celebrator either. Or Mother’s Day, even.
Oh man I am SO glad I am not the only one who despises this tradition. I guess it probably did start in high school, when people would send sing-o-grams or whatever they were called. You would order them from the chorus for like 2 bucks and they would go class to class singing that someone loves you. bleh. And it’s not like I didn’t receive any, I did. I just thought they were stupid. And I think you are right, that this is just a Hallmark holiday, trying to ensure that their beginning of the year sales are better than everyone else’s. So, I’m right there with ya…BAHUMBUG!
Jasmine recently posted..Anniversary Gift Ideas
I’m on the fence on Valentine’s Day. I love any excuse for a party and usually send my daughters and daughter in laws and grandkids something special for the day. But Mac and I have never gone out to dinner or exchanged presents for the day. I usually make a special dinner, but again it’s more because I love the excuse than the holiday itself.
I don’t think VD is really that big a deal. It can be… if you want it to be… just like how some people always do big things on 4th of July or New Year’s. It’s another day… I say celebrate if you wish, but if not, no big deal. No big celebration for me, but it really doesn’t bother me. I’m not sure I understand why some people get so worked up about not being with someone. I’m enjoying my single time, though I don’t want it to last forever.
It’s interesting how people react. I’ve seen several comments from singles on twitter, not liking today much. Maybe we should think about how the schools start this being a big deal when kids are little. Hmmm.
Great recycled post! I wasn’t here last year so it’s new to me anyway.
I have a husband who celebrates so many days with me…(we have 3 official anniversaries a year!) plus so many others.. he even makes some up. So, I don’t register the “fakeness” of Valentines day anymore. One more made up day to share some love and treats.
I’m in!
Plus, I love heart shaped things. Rainbows too. It’s a weird, dorky thing i can’t shake.
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Lucky you! I was very into rainbows in HS and college. I had rainbow decor and a rainbow coat. I’d forgotten that:)
Fake holiday, indeed. All holidays are fake if you consider the amount of commercialization built into them now. That said, is it really bad? I think not. And why I think not is simply because i have come to embrace having fun in all things so much. I know, call me corny in how I look so hard for the positive qand fun in all things. So Valentines day is fake, so saying I Love You when expected too is not really that sincere, so what I say. Have fun with it anyhow, anyway you can.
Thats my take and how I approach it. By no means should everyone do the same. If someone gets the most pleaseure they can from the day by avoiding the holiday; then I wish them well in their avoidance.
Happy Valentines Day Karen!
Patrick recently posted..Day 304 – Happy Valentines Day
I LOVE your attitude! Very positive. Like you:)
As I posted today, Valentine’s Day is the anniversary of my first date with my husband, so it has always been a special day for us. By the way, when he asked me out 35 years ago, he didn’t have a clue that it was Valentine’s Day — and I thought he was asking me out to be romantic. Yet, 35 years later, we’re still together. L’amour, l’amour!
Love this post and its sentiments. Wishing you a happy day with your DH – everyday, not just on this one. :)
Shira recently posted..The etiquette of office food
I was here for that post and remember it fondly! And I still share your sentiments. :)
Cammy@TippyToeDiet recently posted..If You’re Looking for Me…
I have to say that it is usually a non-holiday for us too, but my DH brought home all kinds of goodies tonight – mostly, non-caloric, but really things that I enjoy. I have to admit it was kinda nice. I got him some Godiva Dark Chocolate bars, and dark chocolate is his fave…simple, but to the point.
Melissa Fast recently posted..Holding Back Valentine’s Day Excitement
I have never been very fond of Valentine’s day and also find it, like so many other holidays, overly commercial. But, my anniversary is on the 17th-so I definitely feel that February is the “love” month!
Michele recently posted..Oranges and Happy Friday!
I like Valentines day but don’t believe we need to spend a fortune to tell each other how much we love each other.
beerab recently posted..Happy Valentines Day!
haha, I do understand, but I still enjoy it. I used to get kinda crazy about holidays (was raised Jehovah’s Witness and was trying to make up for lost time) but now I take it pretty relaxed. We do dinner and cards. Sometimes gifts. The last two years I made him homemade cherry cordials. We have fun with it.
I’m glad you reposted this because I never read it before!
I was that same girl with the empty box, I always hated this holiday still not a fan of it. Luckily my husband feels the same way so I had no temptation yesterday eating the chocolate stuff.
Sheri recently posted..The Isle of Temptation
~~~We don’t go overboard either…it’s a money making holiday…but oh, my, I do love getting a bit of dark chocolate!
Warmly,
Kim
XX
I wish I liked dark chocolate! The kind that is supposed to be “healthy.”
I do believe in showing the folks around us how much we love them every day. Valentine’s Day is too much pressure!
debbie recently posted..Answering The Age Old Question Of How Do You Know If He Is The One
Romantic we are not. Me a bit more but still not. I got Jim a cup, he for me a belt but mostly only because we both needed them at this time of year. A romantic I’d love to have but after 30 years I don’t think it’ll happen.
Happy Valentine’s a day late but still a wish for you.
Take care and God Bless!!
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I tried explaining to my teen once about how his dad and I were like comfy old slippers in the best way:)
I love the title of this post, Karen. I find that as we get older (not in a bad way) we start to not like being told what to do more and more…like buy, buy, buy. Every day can be Valentine’s Day, right?
Show your love everyday, I say. A card or chocolates or flowers is easy…show it by words and actions…and the odd chocolate or card, if need be. :)
Darla recently posted..Tales from the Scale
I once heard a country singer on Oprah saying that love is not something you feel, it’s something you do. Loved that distinction.
Aw….Happy belated Valentine’s Day, sweet Karen. Your childhood story reminded me of Charlie Brown; now look how beloved he is, and you are too :)
Ellen recently posted..Looking for the Rewind Button
Awww, this is great! My sister and her husband feel the same way. She always (gently) reminds me each year when I ask her how her VDay went.
Jean Has Been Shopping recently posted..My SITS Day