# Valentine's Day **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819 "2012-02-14T16:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/21 "2012-02-14T23:43:11Z")
I had my deviated septum operated on this morning. Not really feeling the love right now. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/22 "2012-02-15T00:25:44Z")
Oh, **tomato** , here you go: \<3 (&get well soon!) My SO and I are not together today, but for the first time ever in TEN years he has sent me flowers. I sent him a card with a badge. I sent it to his office because I know his colleagues would make fun of him. I’m still not over the flowers. I really do think VD is stupid. But the flowers are soooo nice. And pretty. And I really, really wasn’t expecting them, after ten years of no valentines or any flowers, ever. ---
**Author:** ![missinformation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@missinformation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missinformation)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/23 "2012-02-15T01:13:24Z")
Not big into Valentine’s Day here either…I love pink roses, but used to tell my ex-husband that I would prefer them for my birthday (September, no holidays and alot cheaper). One year, I told him not to get me flowers for Valentine’s Day. (He usually got me a bouquet of mixed flowers). He took it upon himself to decipher that as don’t get me ANYTHING for Valentine’s Day. I bought him a card and (he collected them) 3 Spiderman action figures that had just come out. He looked at me, said thank you, and then called his mother. I asked him if he got me a card…Nope, you didn’t want anything…marriage ended less than 7 months later…not because of this… Oh, I did get my mother a card, an instant lottery ticket, and the new Danielle Steele paperback she wanted. I got a new Barbie doll for my collection…I am now rapidly approaching 300… ---
**Author:** ![maisoui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@maisoui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maisoui)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/24 "2012-02-15T01:31:42Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > … That said I enjoy chocolates in a heart-shaped box for the awesome kitsch value. But I like them even better 50% off, ie, tomorrow. February 14 is Half-Price-Chocolate-Day eve… ---
**Author:** ![Enlightening\_Meditation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@Enlightening\_Meditation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enlightening_Meditation)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/25 "2012-02-15T05:53:49Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I don’t understand this mindset. These aren’t mutually exclusive. You can celebrate your love every day and then on Valentine’s Day, do a little something special. > > I don’t care what other people do, but I love holidays. I’ll take any excuse to celebrate. I did not state nor imply mutual exclusivity. It’s fine to do something special and more romantic than usual on 14 Feb, but it’s a silly cultural mistake perptuated through centuries to associate that with Saint Valentine. I never have celebrated Saint Valentine’s day because I am not religious. I think other days are more romantic for going out and eating dinner because nice restaurants are often uber-crowded on 14 Feb. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/26 "2012-02-15T13:10:21Z")
> [@Enlightening\_Meditation](#): > > I think other days are more romantic for going out and eating dinner because nice restaurants are often uber-crowded on 14 Feb. Well, that’s definitely true. I made a special dinner at home. As to your other point, I’m not a Christian and I celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday, so I’m happy to do the same with Valentine’s Day or Easter or virtually any other religious-turned-secular holiday. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/27 "2012-02-15T13:55:27Z")
I thought I might buy my husband a card yesterday, so I stopped in the gift shop in the lobby of my building on the way out of work. All the cards were picked over and there was nothing left, but roses were selling for **ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS A DOZEN**. I gave my husband a nice big kiss instead. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/28 "2012-02-15T14:54:25Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > but roses were selling for **ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS A DOZEN**. > > I gave my husband a nice big kiss instead. My gf is into flowers and flower arranging. She has explicitly told me to never buy her roses on VD because they are “forced” (whatever that means). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/29 "2012-02-15T16:45:22Z")
“Forcing” flowers means using artificial means to get them blooming at just the right time, regardless of when the flower wants to bloom. I don’t see that as a huge crime, but the prices are. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/30 "2012-02-15T17:11:42Z")
Yeah, Mr. Horseshoe is under strict orders to _not_ buy roses around V Day. He didn’t get me any flowers of any kind yesterday, but he did have a lovely pair of earrings for me when I first got up and then he had to work late so I was in charge of making a nice dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/31 "2012-02-15T18:49:19Z")
We don’t do flowers, but V-day is a great excuse (like I need one) for a box of good chocolates, a bottle of decent wine, and a DVD. We’ve never made a big deal out of it, evn in our courting days, and it often goes by unnoticed. This year he was recovering from a disappointing job interview so he needed a pick me up. Just happened to be V-day. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/32 "2012-02-15T20:14:46Z")
We tend to be a little casual about it all. We don’t do the restaurant thing as we both worked in service so long, it lost it’s appeal, especially on a horrifically busy night, no thanks. So sometimes we’ll go out, before or after, exchange cards. Sometimes one cooks a meal for the other. Sometimes I’ll get a potted plant or some chocolates. I realize it’s not really his thing, and I understand completely. Like I said, it’s always been a somewhat small and casual deal for us. I was working, yesterday noon - 8 pm, so dinner together was out altogether, and I wouldn’t be home when he came back. No worries, I reckoned we’d probably exchange cards over tea, when I came in that night. Imagine my surprise when I came downstairs, that morning, and there on the dining room table, in a vase, a dozen red roses! And a sappy card! Now this would have meant that he not only planned this earlier but was terribly clandestine, after I retired to bed the night before. Neither of these things are very like him. It was terribly sweet and unexpected, and really did surprise me! I made sure to thank him plenty and hear all about his clever planning. After 27 yrs you think you know the guy, and then, turns out, maybe not so much, as you think. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819/33 "2012-02-16T01:25:34Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > “Forcing” flowers means using artificial means to get them blooming at just the right time, regardless of when the flower wants to bloom. I don’t see that as a huge crime, but the prices are. Wow. I was picturing dethorning, humiliation, and some sorta weird blossom penetration. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valentines-day/612819.md?page=1)