It’s hard for me to remember a time when I got upset about not having a date for Valentines. Do you think the holiday used to hold more sway with the general public, or is it just me that no longer cares?
Valentines Cards for Single People by Mr. Bingo
I’ve never cared about V-day.
That’s very enlightened. When I was young, it made me sad not to have a date.
When I was younger – in college or just after – I felt more self-conscious being alone on V-day. Now it’s just another day, and most people I know don’t seem to make a big deal of it either. Besides, my furry valentine is a wonderful source of love!
That’s what I’m wondering. Has it faded as a holiday?
All the v-day dates I’ve ever had were lame and disappointing, not memorable at all, so I actually feel better when I don’t have plans.
And it’s a horrible night to go out to eat. I used to work at an upscale restaurant with foodie clientele, and the staff would call Valentines Day, “Amateur Night.”
When I was in my teens and twenties, it probably did bother me a bit when I didn’t have a date (which would’ve been the default). But as I got older, that went away (I became truly aware of what a marketing scheme it really was). And then, in my late thirties, I decided to celebrate it as a day of love for myself! I would buy myself a card, take myself out for a decadent dessert, get myself a present and wrap it, cook something wonderful. Some years I’d bake a layer cake (okay, HALF a layer cake) for myself–always chocolate, but maybe with peanut butter frosting. Occasionally, I’d even celebrate with a single friend. I used it as a reminder that without love of and caring for one’s self, there is really much less to give to anyone else–a lover, a sister, a friend, a stranger, the world.
I love how you celebrate.
Oddly, Valentine’s Day doesn’t bother me nearly as much as spending my birthday or Christmas or New Year’s as a single woman, as I have for the past 20 years. (Not “alone,” necessarily, just “single.”) I view Valentine’s Day as mainly a “Hallmark holiday,” and as other commenters have noted, it’s a really lousy night to go out.
I completely agree, Kay – on Christmas and birthdays, I want company. That’s why I plan ahead to make sure that happens.
Valentines day to me is a celebration of love and my family human and furry ones are my valentines.
I still bake heart cookies to give away and I enjoy that. Its a bit of a pick me up in a dreary season,so I hope it does not fade away.
That’s a kind way of dealing with the holiday, Gigi. Giving to others. Love it!