What do you do on Valentine's Day?

I spent over ten years teaching in a preschool, where I learned to hate Valentine's Day beyond all reasonable understanding. After 9 hours of handling children whose adoring parents proved their love by letting them eat a box of chocolates for breakfast and sending eleventy-million cupcakes (with icing four inches high) to share with their friends at school, all I wanted when I got home was quiet and peace. I've been out of that industry for over 6 years now, but I haven't lost my dislike of the whole idea. So V Day is blissfully ignored at our house.

Besides, my son's birthday is four days later, and that's far more cause for celebrating in our family. :D

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I think your take on this is a bit harsh, Roger. I don't think Valentine's Day is meant to take care of expressing your feelings for each other for the entire year. It's just a nice day to give your spouse an extra reminder that you love them, that's all. I can't see how there's anything wrong with that. If nothing else, it's a nice excuse to eat some yummy, chocolate candy.

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I think that's kind of a cynical take on the day. It really should be no different than Mother's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving. Of course you shouldn't (and wouldn't) act like you hated your mother, didn't believe in Jesus (if you in fact did) or was very unthankful every other day of the year and then spend the obligatory day "observing" those holidays. It's just a day for the celebration of love, in case you didn't express it quite as well as you would have hoped the other 364 days of the year.
And NO I don't think spending $200 is worthwhile for V-day, but maybe you would get a digital camera FOR valentines day, ever think of that?
Anyway, if you want to see the day as "silly" go ahead, but it's really a wonderful opourtunity to show those we love that we care, just a little more.

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Some people like to have another excuse to formally celebrate, others don't. If it's not your thing and you are sure it's not your wife's thing, then don't bother. But for those who do enjoy it, it gives them a little extra happiness for the moment, and that can't be a bad thing.

Personally I think Valentine's day makes a lot more sense than what Americans do for St. Patrick's day - basically use it as an excuse to get trashed. Yet I've rarely heard anyone criticize St. Patrick's day. Maybe because it's more about guys doing what guys enjoy, not spending time and money on what their wives / girlfriends enjoy.

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OMG misty, my daughter's b-day is the 18th too!!! She'll be 3 this year.
:D
Roger, I would not allow my husband to spend that much money on me. the way we look at it is, we take care of each other all year long so we really don't go all out for holidays except for Christmas, and we really do most of the giving to our children and nieces and nephews. when there is something we want we check with each other as a courtesy before we buy it. We've got a pretty good thing going I think :D

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I think it's all kind of silly, but I don't see the harm in it, so why not.

I can't say I did anything traditionally associated with the holiday. There are no flowers, no hearts, our romantic dinner is going to be a party platter of meats, cheeses and crackers. I got my hubby a CD, he got me a book.

I do kind of grimace when I see all teh roses today. I mean, if you get roses on other random days, too, then great, but I have been so ridiculously disappointed the times I got roses for V-Day. (Never from my husband, he's smarter than that!)

Last year I got a heart-shaped tray of sushi - that was a thoughtful, original, greatly appreciated gift!

I don't like the overcommercialization (is that a word?) of this holiday or any other, and I think people need to be better about expressing their affection all year round, but if today is a reminder to do something nice for those you love, then great!

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Hubby and I will be having a nice quiet dinner at home. I expressly told him not to get me anything and I swore not to get him anything. We are going away for 4 days at the end of the month and we want a new bed so every penny counts. I have never been big on flowers, I don't need any candy, and cards are nice but in the end a waste of money. I imagine once baby arrives it will become something more but until then I am going to enjoy the quiet.

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My son and husband got me 2 red roses, one from each of them, but they do that sometimes out of the blue anyway. My husband works tonight, and worked last night so we texted each other a Happy Valentines Day at the stroke of Midnight! We woke up to our son saying "Wake up, wake up! It's my birthday!" He turned 5 today. (I don't think that Valentines day will ever be about romance and sex in our house ever again. LOL) So for us it's a Birthday with a few added words of love.

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My husband took a lot of crap the first few years we were together, because people thought it was impossible I didn't want the $500 Valentine's Day extravaganza. I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, because it reminds me of a very painful time in my life. The year I was 16, one of my best friends committed suicide shortly before Valentine's Day and my grandfather passed away on Valentine's Day. I can't stand the smell of flowers, because they all remind me of funerals now. Thankfully, my husband understands and doesn't take that as me hinting I want a big bouquet of lilies.

We do things when something interesting comes up. Beats waiting for a table (even with a reservation) at a restaurant on Valentine's Day and sitting in a theater.

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