Happy Valentine's Day

Never have, seems inappropriate. From mid-teens a school friend had one, as if from an unknown admirer, every year from her mother . Her DM told my DM who told me. It was so she was sure to get one ...I thought it dreadful and sad and would not have forgiven my DM had she done the same.
However yesterday I had a couple of Jon Ronson books in the mail. I’d ordered them for DS who is staying for a few days. I wrote ‘Happy Valentines’s Day’ in red pen on the package and drew hearts all over it ????. He was amused but hardly fooled as the package was addressed to me.

Another date which has been hyped up to make us spend more. Children love to make and send cards and I don't have a problem with that, but not if they are buying cards at inflated prices. It's up to each person how and if they celebrate the day, I certainly wouldn't send cards to my dogs.

I agree Florence. Not about sex but romance. But obviously others think differently so thats fine.

Valentines day should be about love in all different ways not just romantic love. I gave dgd a small box of chocs to give her mummy. Dgd was overjoyed. Next year dgd will be big enough to choose a pressie herself.

er......Obviously not.
I did not know this was done by others.
I respect the wishes and traditions of others but do not understand this.
Im feeling quite lucky to recieve a dozen red roses from my husband yesterday. He's not the easiest of men.
Valentines is romantic love for couples. Surely the only special day allocated to couples?
Shouldn't be hijacked and diluted by every family member being involved.

At our NWR meeting we had an exchange of information about Valentine's Day in other countries. It's a very big thing in USA where, for example, children send Valentines to every classmate. It's at least as much about friendship as it is about romantic attachment. Apparently in Japan, it's a festival of chocolate, obviously invented and hyped by confectionery manufacturers. A lot of what we heard made our celebration of the event sound decidedly low-key. To be honest, I prefer the US tradition (apart from the more blatant commercial aspect) of involving friends and family to the mushy sentimentality of the cards you see in the shops here!

But you can choose an in-mushy card. I did. White card, little red heart on the front....signed only with a x

My 4yr old DGS proudly gave his mum a Valentine card he had made at school and my 3yr old DGS also did like wise from nursery.
So schools and nursery obviously see
St Valentine's day as day to show love to loved ones whatever the age of the giver or receiver

When I was young Valentine cards were sent anonymously and were mainly a teen boy/girl thing so a card from Dad or Grandad wouldn’t have cut it for me. Nowadays it seems they are sent amongst family members as a token of love and affection and nothing wrong with that.

There's a funny pattern to St. Valentine's list as thoughtfully provided by Marydoll: you're stung by love, get engaged, might feel like fainting or having a fit when you realize what you're in for, & will go through patches that feel like the plague when you want to tell your beloved to hit the road!

It's ages since I've read 'Far From the Madding Crowd' but wasn't the fateful Valentine sent by Bathsheba to Boldwood originally intended for a small boy in the village? He'd been poorly if memory serves ... this was before Heinz tomato soup! I'm probably all a-muddle on that but food for thought on changing customs/ways of thinking.

10teds, what an absolutely lovely tradition! So glad you shared that. Wonderful to learn of & especially to know it hasn't died out.

Marydoll, & I'm with you in being grateful my family were innocents like yours. We weren't religious maniacs by any means but felt the origin of the day -
marriage/family/children (thanks also to Jalima for information shared; it wasn't gruesome, just historical) warranted a little extra expression of affection & thoughtfulness among ourselves & close friends. The legend of the saint leaving a kindly & loving (not amorous) note signed 'Your Valentine' for a young woman - whom he'd reputedly cured of blindness - on the eve of his martyrdom seemed to us to represent love more spiritual than erotic. That's just how we thought of it but everyone's different.

Jalima, just knowing about my bouquet absolutely made my day! Now I've got a goal for next year! Brilliant thing to share.

No idea where that '&' came from, meant to write 'Marydoll, I'm with you ...'

The chish&fips bouquet has taken over my brain!