Does Valentine's Day suck?

Does everyone remember when we were kids and we all brought little cards to school and exchanged them?
Everyone was courteous and cordial.
Awww that was so sweet a time of our lives.
The day would come and the joy of giving the extra special glittery mini pink princess card to that one who gave us that funny feeling in our tummy would enrapture our impressionable hearts.
It was a wonderful day.
A beautiful day.
A day when the opposite genders could express a liking without catching that most awful of prepubescent diseases....COOTIES.
On any other day the cooties would be transmitted most auspiciously and could easily ruin a young mans chances for being first pick in kick ball or a alter young ladies social seating at the lunch table.
Then we got a little older, a little wiser and we got a bit of experience and things changed.
A permutation occured.
The funny feeling in our tummy is replaced.
Changed into an urge to demonstrate (to the person whom we have invested our heart and soul into) our love by buying some jewelry, flowers, treats or forget-me-not gifts.
We feel compelled to participate in the event as we want to protect the feelings of our partner and provide an extra special glittery something that will be as cherished as we cherish the one we adore.
However, it is only a made up holiday by the greeting card industry. Have we all bought into the historical happy holiday fallacy?
Must we all mislead ourselves into the meaningless consumer driven existence elusion? Do we as a people feel we have to purchase something to express our affection for the person in whom we are involved? Americains spent 17 billion dollars last year on Feb 14th. And who are the biggest Valentine's Day shoppers?
Barely surprising, men spend almost twice as much as women, $163 each versus $84.
The comparison to just one generation ago is stagering.
Back then a man just got his sweetheart a card or flower to celebrate the day.
Have we forgotten how fun getting Cooties really is?
The joy of giving is lost in the past and we replaced it with a swipe of a debit card.
We replaced it with a meal at a corporate restaurant.
We replaced it with something from Jared's.
Shame on us all for forgetting the simple joy of Valentine's Day giving without expectation of anything in return.
I have my own tradition of bring random elderly patients small bouquets of flowers or nick-knacks.
The glow of the Saint Valentine Day is rekindled from the smoldering ember of their long faded youth.
The warm fuzzy feeling I receive from this giving is the almost as joyful as was presenting the extra special glittery mini pink princess card I remember in the springtime of my life.
Pay it forward and it will come back tenfold.
So I present my question again,
Does Valentine's Day suck?

And if so, what do you do to make it better?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJTfNIPGhlQ&feature=player_embedded

Nah, I like Valentine's Day, especially this year. :)

Yeah it sucked last year - and is gonna
suck this year...

I think people expect way too much on Valentines Day......It has been a long time since I have actually dated someone when it came to Valentines Day that took me out ect.

But that has never stopped me from getting my kids and granddaughter as well as myself something small just to show them I love them....it does not have to be a day that is all about couples....

Funny how doing that for them every year made it trickle down to the one they are with.

I loathe valentines day, everyones happy and they are millions of loved up couples showing you that ur still single.

I don't hate it. I just don't think it's a huge deal.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwe Where's my Valentine Hug

it can be difficult when you are not in a relationship to watch all those couples celebrating the day. thing is that the day is specific to those people who are grateful for the relationship they have. does everyone participate, no. does everyone participate on arbor day, or memorial day, mlk day, i could go on. for some it is a time to be grateful and for others, it's just another day. for some it's a great day just to be alive

Alive & Loving

I enjoy watching my grandkids when I give them their Valentines. I guess I don't feel the need to have to be couple to enjoy the day.

You raised some good points UK and it looks like you did your homework . I felt myself going back to those elementary days of passing out valentines. What I didn't like was the fact that not everybody could/would participate. There were times that I was not able to. There were thoughts in the back of my head what people must be thinking of me. It was something that young children should not have to stress about.

Valentines Day should be 365 days a year with kind words, helping hands and a reverance for your partner. If you get that, then we wouldn't need a special day for the showing of affection. But, personally, I like the thought of a "Love Day" ....hey! that's it!...let's just change it to "Making Love Day" .

I like that UK1971! never thought of it that way, forgot how it was back in first grade! I will pay it forward I know a couple elderly men down my block...chocolates will be coming their way!

meh... any day spent above ground is a good day.

Now. I know I'm in love!

I'm at the point in my life where luxurious gifts instead of cards are just starting to be expected. It's absolutely awful. I will admit, I have friends that have broken up with their boyfriend for "not doing enough" on Valentine's Day. All the guys I know are spending their whole paycheck on their girlfriends and girls they want to be their girlfriends. It sounds really sweet, but they're doing it the one day of the year it matters the least. Of course they did something romantic on that day, they're told by society they have to, not that it goes entirely unappreciated, it is nice, but a good amount of romance is lost. I would a million times rather get flowers just because it was a Wednesday then because it was Valentine's Day.

Awww, don't let it suck. Treat yourself, treat a friend. It is 24 hours during which something unexpected might happen. Maybe even something awesome. Just because you aren't going to get a big heart shaped box full of fattening and usually inferior quality chocolate doesn't mean it can't be a day to enjoy...in fact skipping the chocolate may be a good thing! LOL

Hell im single and I'm treating myself on Valentine's...it only sucks if you allow it to suck.

I don't hate it but I'm saving $$$ now that I'm not participating this year :)

Well, I sure would love to spend an evening at home with a special guy having a nice candlelight dinner. Instead I will just have a hot bath and fantisize about that special evening. sigh.