“If I had my way, every fool who goes about with ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ on his lips would be boiled in his own chocolate-flavored wine and buried with a heart-shaped arrow through his heart! Bah! Humbug!”
According to today’s Wall Street Journal, anti-Valentine’s Day events are big business:
If that’s not dark enough for you, there’s the “Twisted Love” event at the “World’s Largest Haunyed House” in Texas. I guess they have to do something for the non-Halloween off-season:
Happy Valentine’s Day! Let’s all share in the glorious gift we have, the ability to love one another. Let’s take this one day to remember we are all brothers and sisters, not in Christ or in Buddha or Krishna but in the human condition. Let us take this one day to strive to be better than we are without the threat of a God looking over us. Let’s love each other!
Do people do this? Go about wishing a happy Valentine’s to all and sundry? Since leaving grade school, I don’t believe I have extended Valentine thoughts of any sort to anyone except a woman I was currently partnered with.
To my understanding, this is not what Valentine’s Day has ever been about. It’s about romantic love, specifically.
Ohhh, but who’s a cute widdle grumpy cat?
Peremensoe, I know that’s not what valentine’s day is about. So? It’s a Hallmark holiday, for goodness’ sake. I mean, what it’s “about” is some martyred saint, isn’t it? So I choose to impart my own meaning to it, and I happen to think my own meaning is better anyway.
My wife found that a new JoAnn Fabrics store near us has scheduled its Grand Opening Celebration for tonight and rather wryly observed that JoAnn Fabrics is perhaps unwittingly communicating an unfortunate truth about its customer base.
I’m not especially into it either, but I would like to point out that it’s formulaic and there is a designated day, at least in part, because let’s be honest without the social protocol, many, MANY, men would not know what to do, or when, and that being too much pressure would just never make these sorts of overt displays. It’s once a year, and no one is demanding diamonds and caviar. The sweetest gestures are often minimal, inexpensive and sincere.
That said I certainly realize there are men that require no nudging to make such gestures. But they are not the majority, I believe.
Yeah, I mean, given its origins, widening the holiday to all relationships one treasures is probably as within the spirit of things as anything else. On the other hand, there’s already a day for that: August 3rd, Esther Day.
Valentine’s Day has been associated with romantic or “courtly” love since the Middle Ages. Long before Hallmark. You may reimagine it for yourself if you like, but you will confuse a lot of people and perhaps annoy some, if you make much of it.
I’ve never minded the relationship aspect. I mean… meh. I usually go with Anaamika’s approach and, if I feel like celebrating, celebrate by doing things for those I love in non-romantic ways.
But. Tonight I’m going to go work in a restaurant that is geared toward being a good place for a date. Roses on the tables. Walls painted red. We have a dessert that’s just a damn plate of expensive chocolate. We’re expecting utter chaos. Oh, and there are a bunch of specials we’re supposed to be running, none of which any of us know how to make or anything yet. God I wish I had made plans to be out of town today.
If Valentine’s Day is about courtly love, then there’s a lot of incest going around, with all those cards specifically made for sons, daughter, mothers, fathers, grandparents, etc.
It’s just weird to wish it to a complete stranger–at least, without recognizing the partner, too. Would any of you look askance at “I hope you and your wife have a great Valentine’s Day together!”? I wouldn’t.
I don’t get the hate, though. It’s not like Valentine’s Day is the first day that I think about the fact that I’m single. I hadn’t even thought of being upset by it until you guys thought it up. Heck, I was looking forward to the Valentine’s episode of my favorite show. My disappointment will only be if the host is still sick and has to cancel, like he has the past three shows.
I’ve always hated it as a one-sided, meaningless event. Every year, my ex expected some sort of jewelry, and every year I got a fucking card. So if we’re supposed to measure our love for someone by the amount of money spent (as advertisers like to promote), I guess I lost out. It’s just another stupid “holiday” meant to part you with your money.
This is the first time in 22 years me and the old man are celebrating V-day, and the only reason is that our favorite restaurant has a special menu featuring coffee-rubbed smoked pork tenderloin with Templeton Rye-cherry sauce, served with smoked gouda mac & cheese. Screw the flowers, jewelry and chocolate that we don’t do anyway. And I’m taking him since he’s been off work for 4 months and I’m the one with the cash these days.
I suppose I shouldn’t be speculating whether he’ll put out afterwards - that would be tacky and certainly casue someone to leap in with a “boy if a MAN said that ALL the Doper womyn would be having hysterical fits” post. Besides, he’s a huge horndog, so no need to wonder. (yeah, that would be a sneak brag if it were sneaky).
Happy Watching-Everyone-But-You-Enjoy-A-Relationship Day?
