Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and I was interested to hear everyone's thoughts on the holiday.

Do you hate it? Love it? Why? Hate the commercialization but love the base idea? Don't care for the sentiment but love all the candy? Secretly love it but never have anyone to celebrate it with so you pretend to not care?* Secretly hate it because you don't have anyone to celebrate it with so you pretend not to care?* Genuinley don't care? Live in a country that doesn't celebrate it?

There's no wrong answer.

_{* meant as a joke. Please don't be offended. I'm sorry if you were. It sounded funny in my head, or at least the voices laughed.}

My fiance and I celebrated Valentine's day once, the first year we were together (I was 18, he was 25); he managed to order the wrong food, his mother gave him a rose to give to me, and I spilled cider all down myself, so it was a fabulous, classy occasion

Seriously though, I feel like we are basically told by companies that love is something you do once a year by buying gifts (mostly men buying gifts for women I notice). I prefer real, non-materialistic examples of affection at any time of year.

I think I never had many valentine's days where I had someone to celebrate it with so it grew bitter for me. After being with my husband for nine or so years we still don't celebrate it much. He works food service and I don't like crowds so we just treat it like any other day. We don't need a special day set aside to treat each other I do thing a partnership is worth celebrating though, but I feel it's more special when it's not "mandated" by a holiday. Shoot, we even pick out our own Christmas Gifts most years haha.

My favorite part of Valentine's day is the day-after candy sales

The last time I did something for him for Valentine's day I ordered a large Illidan figure, managed to hide it from him, also managed not to get too excited about it and tell him ahead of time. Then in the morning before work I unpacked it, put it on the top shelf of his computer desk, and put candy all over it and his desk and keyboard. Nothin' like a Night Elf-turned-demon dual-wielding glaives with Starburst in his horns to say "I love you"

It is an annoying reminder that I am married to someone who wants nothing to do with me.

I know its a fake holiday created by Hallmark to sell cards. If I take that part out of it, I appreciate any holiday that promotes love and appreciation for others.

The other part I do not like is all the social stress built up around it and associated to it. There is a lot of Earthly Ego, pride, esteem, and other emotions tied to it. I find this holiday can create a lot of shadow, triggers, pain and hurt. I find the marketing of it, plays on these shameful emotions to get people to buy into it. It takes a confident and secure person to say, "Yes, I do not have a partner right now and I am happy with that."

If all of the shaming and shadow could be alleviated from this holiday (and humanity), I think this would be one of the simplest holidays around. Just love yourself, others and the world!

Blessings and love.

You are loved.

ive never really cared for valentine's day...

usually since valentine's day has never really cared for me.

it's mutual

Honestly, it's my favorite holiday. #2 is Halloween.

(Braces for impact)

Valentine's day is the day before my birthday, so my boyfriend and I always just ignored it (my birthday is more important). It doesn't seem to be as big of a deal down here (Australia) as it looks to be in America and other parts of the world. It's basically something you can do if you have excess money and time to spend, but it doesn't actually represent anything that can't be done on any other day of the year.