As you know from last year’s post, Valentine’s Day is a favorite holiday of mine, second only to Halloween. But, unfortunately, like many other holidays, it has been hijacked into another “shopping opportunity” for husbands, boyfriends, wives and children throughout our country. I guess you’d say, “No good holiday goes unpunished.”
Remember when a single trip to the drugstore covered all the bases? Usually, our mothers bought a bag or small box of valentines for us to deliver to school friends. My favorites were the ones in books, with perforations, to be freed from the page before signing my name. They always came with small envelopes, requiring us to address each one individually, picking just the right card for each classmate. They carried clever messages like “You’re plane nice!” with a jet pictured. Or “You’re in the core of my heart!” beneath a half-eaten apple.
Meanwhile, the dads could pick up a heart-shaped box of candy or a Whitman Sampler and pat themselves on the back for remembering “sweets for the sweet.” Price: $2.00 per one-pound box--a wise investment for plenty of goodwill.
By the time my daughter was in school, the offerings had become fancier and pricier, too. We usually ordered her cards by mail, and then she’d insert a heart-adorned pencil into the slot of each card. Other times, we’d order ones to hold candy-filled straws called pixie stix or other small candy.
I understand that Valentine parties, like birthday celebrations, have been banished from many classrooms. I guess the prevailing sentiment is concern for too much sugar at those school parties. So how do the kids deliver Valentine greetings to their friends? Maybe by email or text, like everything else these days? Today it seems the holiday is all about keeping up with the Jones’ for adults (especially the men!) They better come up with Godiva Chocolates, a least a dozen red roses and maybe a nice piece of jewelry to go with it all. After all, the guy next door did it and his wife will definitely be bragging about it at Bridge.
Call me Old School, but I miss the days when a small Valentine, or even a sentimental message, sent to a favored friend or a loved one, was enough to brighten their day. No matter how you celebrate the holiday, I hope you spend it with someone you love. I’ll be baking heart-shaped cookies.
I miss it as well, I like simple quality time, no gifts needed.