Hallmark Thursday

Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate it. I think this day is silly, so Michael's always been off the hook. I can be romantic and so can Michael, but we eat chocolate year-round and get flowers when we feel like it. Since this is supposed to be a day for lovers, I've really never understood the drift that's taken place where just about everyone gives everyone else a card as if it's a popularity contest. Even parents give their kids one (eew).

We're the kind of couple that realize it's our anniversary after seeing a card in the grocery store, so pick a card out of the display, swap, read, and put it back. It's so bad that I used our anniversary date on a password for something and later realized it was the wrong date. Michael had no problem getting into the website though because had the exact same wrong day in his mind. And that's why we work.

I was curious as to whether this frivolousness was just a US/European thing, so started checking into it (most of the below comes from Wikipedia). It turns out it was just a Western celebration until marketers started pushing it elsewhere (now that's romantic).

He's going to have to get the female giver
 a pair of chocolate Jimmy Choo stilettos in March.

I had to laugh that supposedly the Japanese aired Valentine's Day chocolate commercials aimed at foreigners in their country but got the translation wrong. Of course, Japanese viewers saw the commercials and felt that they should be buying chocolate too, but thanks to the misunderstanding, thought that the women were supposed to be giving the chocolate to the men. Screw the cards, jewelry, flowers, etc. Their day is all about chocolate. Which type of chocolate is given to each male sends a specific message (co-workers get milk chocolate; lovers get dark?; an ounce or a pound?). The chocolate industry there gets half its annual chocolate sales on this day alone. It became apparent to someone in the 1980s that this was rather unfair, so now in March, the Japanese men are expected to give something back to whoever bought them chocolate in February. And not just anything - but something at least 3 times more valuable than the chocolate (again, the worth of the gift can send all kinds of meanings - the pressure!). Seriously, why do we do this to ourselves?

In South Korea, women who don't get Valentine's Day goodies in February get to look forward to a day in April when they can all get together over black noodles and "mourn" their single life. Women - just stop it.

Valentine's day has even crept into India and some places in the Middle East, countries not exactly known for their romantic cultures. Just goes to show what relentless marketing can do. It also shows that romanticism (and probably a little lust) is alive and well even when someone (a government; your parents) tries to squelch it.

We'll just wait until the chocolate goes on sale and then stock up so we have it when we actually feel like being romantic - or just have an urge for chocolate.