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How do you feel about Valentine's day?

(123 Posts)
LesterGran Thu 04-Feb-21 05:40:54

With two teenage DGDs it's hard not to get relatively excited about that, but mostly I don't like and absolutely don't appreciate this day. What's supposed to be romantic is too commercialized now and became just another 'Hallmark day'. My DGDs think I'm being too old and too boring for saying so grin. I'm curious, how do you feel about this day and what does your family say about it?

BigBertha1 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:05:18

We ignore it usually but perhaps this year I might make an effort to relive the tedium more than anything else. It is wasted on DH though he cant see the point and my birthday is just before so I will have the usual flowers for that.

threexnanny Thu 04-Feb-21 10:22:06

I think it's nice to have a reminder to tell someone how much they mean to you - especially if it's not said often enough in the year. We exchange cards and flowers, and sometimes have a meal out. However, I do agree that it has got too commercial
-but so has Christmas, Easter, Halloween. We do what is right for us and ignore the rest.

ImStillGood Thu 04-Feb-21 10:24:45

My DGC love this day (they are 11 and 14), they do collages and Smartshow 3d videos about it for their school projects and are always excited about getting a many cards, but it's never been a thing for me. As Sara1954 said, it's just another excuse to fill the shops and nothing more.

dolphindaisy Thu 04-Feb-21 10:26:00

I remember when I was at school and some of the girls would come in with a pile of cards they had received, I never got any (sob) and always felt jealous until someone pointed out they had bought them themselves to show off.

Sarahmob Thu 04-Feb-21 10:26:47

We don’t observe Valentine’s Day, cards end up in landfill and flowers are bumped up in price. DH regularly buys me flowers and I ensure the cake tin is filled with his favourite things - we share the three little words regularly too, who needs a special day?

timetogo2016 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:31:56

My dh and i got married on valentines day in 2015,so it`s abit more of a special occasion now.
My 2 adult sons do lovely thing for their wives too.

Peasblossom Thu 04-Feb-21 10:32:39

A few weeks after my husband died I arranged to meet up with a friend whose husband had finally admitted to an affair and walked out.

We arranged our babysitters and decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal and a film at a nearby complex. Everywhere was packed. Not a table to be had. It was when we took a good look at all the adoring couples gazing into each other’s eyes that we realised it was Valentines Day!

We took refuge in MacDonalds?

Funnygran Thu 04-Feb-21 10:33:13

It’s far too commercialised these days. DH’s birthday is just before so we’re going to try a home delivered meal from a restaurant that we both like. I would say he’s not really a romantic although can surprise me at times! The year after we met in 1967 he was away at college and sent me a beer mat with a little Valentines Day poem on it which I kept for years until it fell to bits.

Lesley60 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:33:25

I think it’s for the youngsters, they enjoy it that’s what matters, hubby is always loving and kind to me .
every year I tell him not to waste money on a card or present for me

polnan Thu 04-Feb-21 10:37:28

never been interest in it, ever since I left early teen years

with dh, (no longer here physically on this earth) we loved all , every day and on... not romantic, love... ho hum,, making money for some people...

most stuff nowadays has got out of hand

cossybabe Thu 04-Feb-21 10:38:34

I always cook a special meal on Valentine's Day and I have bought my husband of 48 years some special chocolates. However, I still wonder who left that unsigned card in my school satchel all those years ago?

rowanflower0 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:43:46

It was always ignored by my ex-husband and myself, but then, in 1991 my father died on February 13th, and four years later, my mother followed him on February 12th.
It now means something totally different.

LinAnn52 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:44:50

DH and I just exchange cards (he usually writes a nice romantic message in his!). Recently I thought I would order one from Moonpig but was so disappointed with the choice I didn’t bother, even although there was a 30% discount. Most were smutty or downright rude. Where has the romance gone?

buylocal Thu 04-Feb-21 10:46:00

I think I am with the majority. I hate excuses for
squeezing money out of people. I used to love V day at school and as a teenager, when the tradition of anonymous cards was exciting and fun - that didn't cost anyone a lot, especially if the cards were homemade. But as grown up married people, we manage to express our feelings and do special things together at any time we choose.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:46:15

Valentine's day was fun when I was fifteen and had my first boyfriend, but I have never bothered about it since.

Growing0ldDisgracefully Thu 04-Feb-21 10:47:30

Oh dear, lots of negative remarks on here about it.

However, it is a special day for us, we married on Valentine's Day, and this year it is our Ruby anniversary.

My lovely husband has bought me a Ruby pendant (I am still mulling over a suitable gift for him).

I am about to go and create a handmade anniversary card to give him (no profits for Hallmark here!).

It is usually one of the few occasions on which we go out to dinner. Instead we will have a takeaway from the Italian restaurant we would have eaten at, I'll be setting the table for a romantic dinner, will dress up as I would have if we'd been going out, and am looking forward to it. So there! smilewine

Sardinia2020 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:48:19

We’ve been married 38 years and never used to bother with Valentine’s Day when we were younger. For the last few years though we have amused ourselves with buying each other a gift from one of the pound shops. We are only allowed to spend £1 and have to try to find something that we’d actually like. We then wrap whatever it is up beautifully and exchange on the actual day. Slightly mad but gives us a bit of a laugh.

Val14 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:54:07

My partner and I do exchange cards on Valentine's Day but more importantly, it's my birthday ? Unlike last year though, I will not be able to have my children and grandchildren visit me. But we will be talking on video calls which will still be exciting.

Nannapat1 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:54:44

DH loves it and always gets me a card, although he has been known to forget our wedding anniversary! I'm really not bothered but feel obliged to get a card. We've both hated restaurants putting up prices for a set meal and don't book for these: won't be an issue this year though!

Gwenisgreat1 Thu 04-Feb-21 10:57:46

We usually exchange cards, that's the extent of my DH's romantic streak - no presents!

jaylucy Thu 04-Feb-21 10:57:50

I made the mistake of getting engaged to my ex husband on a Valentines Day, so it has been sour for me ever since.
Even before him, I wasn't one that had stacks of cards or dinner invitations etc.
I have a friend , who for many years has sent out Valentine cards to several of her friends and even ex partners - she gets different people to not only write the cards, but post them in different places, just for fun. No idea if any of the recipients ever guess that it is her!

Lupin Thu 04-Feb-21 10:58:13

I just wish that there was someone to send me a card now.
I'd lap it up. Also, that I had someone to send one to. Ahhh!
It can be fun, but if it's a chore then leave it out.

Ealdemodor Thu 04-Feb-21 10:58:20

We always celebrate, though our first date was actually on February 13th! Luckily, he turned up!
We mark the day with cards and a small gift, but have a meal at home (no choice this year, obviously) as we found that restaurants would be packed and often short-staffed - not very romantic.
I think it’s a shame so many people are so cynical.

LynneH Thu 04-Feb-21 10:58:57

I like to exchange cards with my DH on Valentine’s Day, but no flowers, as we both resent the exorbitant mark-ups. And we always have a special meal; sometimes at a restaurant, but mostly at home. Sometimes I cook, sometimes he does, and occasionally we do something together. This year, I’m seizing on every opportunity to celebrate an occasion, so we’ve already had a full-on Burns Night, and we’ll have a special Chinese feast for Chinese New Year; ditto Thai and Persian.

Mollygo Thu 04-Feb-21 11:00:47

We must be a disappointment to the card world. We exchange cards every year-the same one. We have saved them since the first year and the excitement is remembering where we put them!
We usually have eggs, bacon and tomatoes for our celebration meal. It was all we could afford when we first got married.