Do You Celebrate Valentine's Day?

[Violet Witch]

No. I've always believed you should celebrate your love for others as much as possible all year round (not with gifts etc) rather than wait one specific day a year to do so. It's nothing more than a Hallmark holiday that lines the pockets of card companies just like they do with other new holidays that they've made up in recent years such as "Teachers Appreciation Day" or "Grandparents Day."

 

[Holla]

As a kid it was cute to give out little cards and candy to the other kids in school.

Once I became a teen though I grew to care less about it. I was typically always single and the consumerism side of the day was annoying. Stores will take advantage of anything to make more money.

As an adult it's been more mixed. My ex basically pretended the day didn't even exist. I was excited to finally be able to properly take part in the day only to be let down. In hindsight that relationship was horrible anyways so just as well even if it didn't make me feel any better about the day.

As of last year though things started to change. I got over my ex (honestly it was more healing from how I had been treated than actually getting over him. As I was over him before I had even officially left). I met someone new via online dating and actually met them in person on none other than Valentine's Day last year. We didn't purposely plan to meet on Valentine's Day it's just how it worked out. We had gotten to the point of being comfortable enough to meet in person and the weekend was the best time to do it and the following weekend just happened to be Valentine's Day. As of now we are still together and I really look forward Valentine's Day this year. Big gifts and whatnot I don't really want or need just a nice little dinner out (or even in honestly) would more than make me happy. I always treasure spending time together more so than spending money on someone y'know?

 

[VanitasFan26]

No and I don't really care about it either.

 

[rubyrubert]

Heck yes. Valentine's day is my favorite holiday single or not! I love all the pinks and reds and it's about LOVE and plushies~! Tbh, I always loved Valentine's day, but I get more excited about holidays as I get older

 

[EmmaFrost]

My partner and I express love to each other every day, so V Day isn't a huge deal to us but we enjoy gift giving and we look for any excuse to get each other something. It's usually a small but thoughtful gift. We don't really NEED anything material and we can buy what we want, so something small and sweet works. I made them a Star Wars handmade needlepoint art thing one year.

 

[Jhine7]

Celebrating Valentine's Day with my fiancé usually just consists of going out for dinner, and maybe very small gifts to each other. Not as big as our birthdays or Christmas for us.

 

[kayleee]

I like Valentine’s Day! My husband and I usually celebrate with a nice dinner, flowers and some gifts. However, over the years our celebrations have definitely gotten smaller (as with other holidays). When we started dating, the first couple Valentine’s days were quite extravagant. Now we agree to just go to one of our favorite restaurants and usually tell each other “don’t get me anything” and then both end up getting each other a gift anyway lol. But overall I quite enjoy it

 

[ManzarekMorrison]

It really depends on the circumstances. If there's a friend that I have that I see on a daily basis, is single, doesn't have a valentine, and would not feel weird with receiving stuff, I'll most likely get them a box of chocolates for valentines day. Otherwise, nope.
Though, one time I did this I got elected valentines queen with the dude I gave the chocolates to, so...

 

[Shawna]

I decided to vote for "It's complicated" pp
Me and some of my online friends do celebrate it in our own way, but we are not what you would consider conventional.

Me and some of my online friends (especially my closest ones) are not in relationships with actual people (I am actually aro-ace towards real people and probably always will be). But we have fictional others (a.k.a. the red guy with me in my avatar) What I have done every year since 2018 is make a tribute video to my favorite ships/couples. Like it will be a bunch of mini tributes to my favorite ships/couples in one video.

With all of that being said, I love Valentine's Day. It has grown to be one of my very favorite holidays along with Christmas. And I am REALLY looking forward to it this year. I have two special videos planned this year: My usual annual tribute, and Couple/Ships themes. I have already made good progress on the latter, and I will start on the former in just 2-3 weeks now. I would usually just upload them regularly, but this year, I will premiere them. <3333

 

[Tao]

"Blah blah CORPORATE HOLIDAY!" "blah blah LOVE SOMEBODY EVERY DAY!"

Yea, sure, okay, hot take over here *independent thought alarm*.


I "celebrate" valentines day if I'm in a relationship because it's just another excuse to do something nice with my partner. I like doing things with my partner, so why would I pop on my edgiest edgelord hat and refuse to when I'm literally handed an excuse by the world to go and do something? Last year we just went to a nice park. We'll probably go to the Zoo or something this year because I still have tickets from my birthday that will expire around that time. That'll be a nice day out for us and it's a rare occasion the world gives us an opportunity to do so guilt/excuse free. It might end up that the best I can do is turn up to pick her up from work like most other days BUT with a small box of chocolates. "Oh no, I've put a smile on her face! Damn you, consumerism!".

Sorry to break it to the super cool big brains saying to show you love somebody every day, but me doing something on one specific day doesn't mean we don't do nice things throughout the year "just because", it just means that we'll both try to do something nice for that day because it's a day we're allowed to with no justification to peers, work or various other commitments that get in the way a lot of the time. It's another excuse to show I love her and honestly, there's far worse things companies do than encourage you to do something nice for your partner.

It's either that or tell my SO "we're not doing anything for valentines day because I love you every other day, so I'm fighting the corporate regime by not taking part in this capitalist holiday". I'll save that winning pick up line for the critical thinkers who've taken the red pill on this holiday. I'm sure you'll be batting *insert preference* away with a stick with that grade-A romance. Go get 'em, Tiger!

When I don't have a partner? I resist the urge to be dark, brooding and tell everybody how silly a holiday it is and just accept that not everything has to cater to me at all times.

 

[moo_nieu]

if i have someone to celebrate it with then yes. its the perfect reason to have a fun date night and exchange gifts. if not, then id probably just make it a self care day

 

[-Blue-]

I like chocolate. I usually buy the stuff from the discount bins the next day. Personally like most other holidays I just treat it like a regular day.

 

[Tobiume]

Ever since I've had a significant other, yes. Before then, I'd just buy discount chocolate and maybe be a little jealous of people who got chocolates or flowers on that day. No more jealousy now though, I get chocolates and little presents.

 

[Megaroni]

No. Not really a fan of the celebration either.

Spoiler: May be upsetting to those who really like valentine's day

Growing up I remember kids getting their feelings hurt because they didn't get a valentine card from whoever. Or thier parents didn't give them something while some of the other kids got something because of valentine's day being about loving others. To me, that is just sad. And teasing when just trying to include others. The candy message hearts are gross. And as an adult, it seems like manipulation and a corporation cash cow. I just find it generally unhealthy.

Oh wow you're right. It's so sad having to wait in class to see if anyone got you anything for Valentine's day only to get nothing.

Post automatically merged: Jan 6, 2022

when i was single, i didn't get the appeal, but i didn't hate it, either. now that i have a girlfriend, i do enjoy it to a degree. we're long distance, so there's no guarantee we'll be together for the occasion, but we try to line it up or at least get close. we don't go to dinner or anything, and it's just a normal day for the most part, but we do get each other gifts and a card. last year, i got my girlfriend two funko pop she liked, including a pride hello kitty, and she sent me this cute white rabbit plush holding a sweetheart that says "i love you", and it sits on the end of my bed in the middle of all my other plushies. i don't think 'expecting' gifts, especially from someone you love, takes away from them at all. usually, we don't go with the more valentine's day themed stuff, so higher prices aren't an issue, and neither of us are particularly bothered about flowers since they're pretty expensive for something that dies within a week, so it's not exactly a dent in our wallets either. the only thing i hate about the holiday is how heteronormative it is. trying to find a good same-sex themed valentine's day card is a nightmare, especially one for wlw. there's like one small section with 10 cards, most of them pretty crappy or simplistic, and then three whole rows of gendered animals for straight couples. makes me angry every year without fail lmao.

also, the whole "class exchanging cards" thing is non-existent here. i've never heard of a primary school that's done it, although i'm sure there are some, and i think it's weird that america (and canada) make little kids gift each other valentine's day cards when they cry about how same-sex couples are inappropriate for that age group lmao. in secondary school, you'll just give a card and/or gift to your s/o if you have one but, like, it's a private thing between you and them and might not even necessarily happen during school.

I have the card problem too but I've just started putting paper over the incorrect words and writing the correct ones lol. Some of these cards are too pretty to ignore. Then again I also do this with cards addressed to granddaughters. I'll just replace the daughter with the person's name

Post automatically merged: Jan 6, 2022

No, it's not for me. I'm somewhere on the more-aromantic-than-not side of the spectrum. Also, displays of affection (both romantic and platonic) make me uncomfortable and feel awkward, so I generally avoid going places on Valentine's Day so that I don't have to see any. I can see how it'd be fun for people who are into that sort of thing.

Would just like to thank you for the "more aro than not" term. I will now be adding this to my everyday vocabulary

 

[Soigne]

I don't celebrate it. I've been single for quite some time, so I've no real reason to celebrate. If I were to ever have a partner on Valentine's day, I wouldn't say no to us having a nice dinner together but I wouldn't plan a huge ~celebration of our love~ LOL

 

[Romaki]

I love romance in theory, but I never got it in practice. :c

 

[Stella-Io]

I find it as an excuse to buy myself a new stuffed animal that will dissappear from store stock if I don't buy it now as if I need an excuse to buy more stuffed animals coughcoughcough.

I've never had anyone to celebrate with, so I don't celebrate it in that fashion. I used to get sad on that day while I was still in school cause all the couples would dress up in red and give out balloons and candy, meanwhile I'm wearing pink like a single pringle (my high school had a thing that couples would wear red and singles would wear pink on that day). Made me feel lonely and also unloved, like no one would love me like that.

Now that I'm (barely) an adult thou I don't pay it much attention. I buy my stuffed animal/s and do whatever I was going to do on that day anyway. Sometimes I'll get myself candy, maybe a plant arrangement if there are any Valentine ones. It still makes me feel lonely, esp since my sis has a bf, another reminder of my near non-exitent dating history. But then I think of all the stuff dating entails and know it's not for me, so I usually get over it.

 

[VioletUV]

Nope. Never had anyone for the romance department lol

 

[Autumn247]

I'm not in a relationship and probably won't ever be again, I just feel better single. I usually just buy myself some nice chocolate or a dessert and have a nice dinner for Valentine's Day because why not lol

 

[Alienfish]

Not really. Sometimes my mom gives me candy and/or a small gift for it but otherwise no.