Do You Celebrate Valentines?

Updated on February 15, 2011
M.D. asks from Washington, DC
25 answers

We don't. My husband and I exchange cards and get small gifts for the kids, but we don't do big gifts. We DO make a special day with the kids (this year it was on Friday and we saw Never Say Never, went to Build A Bear, and Macaroni Grill). The kids also got little gifts this morning and we exchange cards. But my husband and I don't go out special for us. I'm a girl who would rather have diamonds on a Tuesday and flowers on a Saturday just because he thought about it. You?

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So What Happened?

So sweet to hear how people celebrate :). I do love the fact that it's another day just to emphasize, but I don't see the point in over doing it...as one poster said, we over do so many holidays, but this is just a nice one to spend as a family. But it is GREAT to hear how some people do it! We spent a lot of family time over the weekend from Friday-Sunday and made sure to have fun yesterday too....park time with the kids before daddy got home, a nice dinner that everyone loved, and fun arts and crafts...a good break from our normal routine of running around like crazy!! Happy Valentines Day Mamas!!

Featured Answers

J.P.

answers from Stockton on

I'm with you - we don't even exchange cards. I put a little note in his lunch box, but that is about it. The kids will have a party at school today, and they sign up to bring treats and then made their valentines to hand out, but that is really the end of it for us! LOL

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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

It's more for kids and newly involved couples - LOL! After a while, it just feels like a halmark holiday foisted on us. I like to get a card or a little something; maybe wrap myself in a red bow ;) but I don't need jewelry, etc.

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

We don't do Valentine's Day, mostly because it is also my son's birthday and my birthday is this week, too. My husband's birthday was just last month. That's a lot of celebrating within 30 days!

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S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i got flowers and a card the other day. i'm fixing our spurting-heart meatloaf and chocolate pots de creme for dinner tonight, getting a card for the hub and a good organic chocolate bar each for the kids. it's a fun but no pressure day.
:) khairete
S.

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B.B.

answers from San Antonio on

My husband works as a restaurant manager and for the 12 years that we have been together he has almost always had to work on Valentine's. When I was younger, before we had children, I used to get upset about it, esp as all my friends were getting excited about their dates. We got into an argument/discussion about it when we had been together about 4 years. He basically said that if I wanted to be with him, I had to understand that at his work, days like Valentines, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, etc are HUGE for business, and it was part fo the deal he had to work. He had me choose a day that we could have as our own. So I picked June 20 and it has been our "Love Day" ever since. While all my co-workers are getting flowers and chocolate today, we gave our babies their valentines this morning, and I know that come June 20 we will celebrate our special day.

<3 B

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G.T.

answers from Modesto on

I just made heart shaped eggs and heart shaped pancakes for husband and served them to him while he's soaking in the tub (did the same thing last year). I happened to be out shopping with my mom yesterday and so I got him a card, I dont usually do that.
Basically we dont celebrate it except for saying Happy Valentines Day to each other, and of course sex will come in some time today.

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J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I treat Valentine's day like every other holiday.
Gestures are gestures no matter how big or small.
Anything I do on that day is out of love for my family.
I don't understand the difference between a 3 dollar gift or a 30 dollar gift..it's a gift just the same...even home made gifts.
I think the major problem with ALL holidays (not just v-day) is that people believe how much they do or spend means how much they love that person.
We are doing just a few small things (making dinner, baking brownies, exchanging small gifts <under 5 bucks>, maybe watching a movie, etc), and to me thats celebrating.
Time to bake my brownies! Happy V-Day!

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Hmm.
Well I worked on the cards for my kids' classes, but then they both got sick last night and are home from school.

Then as I was about to wrap up the fun little gift that I had gotten them - a pack of their fav. snack cakes - they got mad at me over taking their medicine cuz they are sick. Called me mean and told me to just go away.

So for this year, no I'm not doing anything.

M.

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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

No, we haven't done anything since we were engaged, and that was a nightmare meal at a fancy restaurant (Waiters were fighting over not wanting to serve our table, standing right behind us! Both were overbooked with tables but it made us feel lousy. After it took 45 mins just to get our salads when the people next to us who came in after us were already eating dinner, we walked out.). We decided then it wasn't worth going out.

Now, we just give gifts to the kids. I agree ... thoughtful gestures throughout the year are more important to me than a forced card and gift because it's expected.

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R.M.

answers from Chicago on

We give our kids little things. But we don't celebrate it or give gifts to each other. Personally I think that's dumb, but to each his own. Some people enjoy celebrating it, and that's good for them.

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J.W.

answers from Washington DC on

My husband and I have had tragedy strike very close to Valentine's Day, so we make sure to celebrate it as a reminder that our love is stronger than our grief. We also celebrate it as an example to our boys who may not marry a woman who thinks Valentine's Day is stupid. I'd hate for them to get "in trouble" their first Valentine's Day because our family just doesn't celebrate it.

Besides, it's fun. I don't need a holiday to be reminded that my husband loves me, but it's fun to have a day when you KNOW there's something special about to happen. Our lives are busy and sometimes we get distracted by what's going on around us. A day (other than our anniversary) that is set aside to "romance" one another is great! I am blessed to have a man who does this on his own and often, but one more day when it's a guarantee can't be bad.

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J.B.

answers from Phoenix on

We do the same as you....a few smal gestures for the kids, maybe "A" piece of chocolate. but nothing for us. We both prefer to do "just because" gestures for each other through out the year. A card just because I was thinking of you, flowers becuase you made my heart melt this morning etc.

We both hate the mainstream this day has become.

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F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

We do celebrate. My mom had the kids saturday night so hubby surprised me with dinner at a resort. This morning he gave me a card, candy and pillow pet (that I asked for!) and I gave him about 5 pounds of chocolate (that he asked for!). He also let it slip that he has a ring on order for me that hasn't come yet. We bought the kids gifts as well, spent about $50 on each of them. And I'm making a new recipe tonight for dinner. We buy each other gifts randomly thru the year, hubby brings me flowers probably about once a month. I think love should be shown more often, but vday is just the highlighted day for it!

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

I'm kind of the same way. We usually go out on the 13th because that's our "special day" from when he proposed, but we actually went out Saturday instead this year. We'll get each other cards and flowers or maybe a massage, but nothing crazy. We get the kids a little treat and a card, and they have their school Valentine's parties. That's enough for me! And yes -the love notes or flowers he brings or leaves for me on random days are always better than the ones "mandated" by a holiday calendar!

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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

We do the obligatory parties at my kiddos schools and do a little family celebratio (this year we are doing cookies and family dinner) but the forced feeling of V-day is a bit overated for my tastes.
Also, because me and hubby share our money I figure it is actually me buying my own flowers/chocolates and I'd rather not spend that money on it - LOL!

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S.H.

answers from Spokane on

We don't do much. Sent our daughter some chocolates and $ and gave our boys and new changing color match box car and a small box of chocolates.
My boys did get me a dozen pink roses this year per my 6 y/o request :):):) hubby and I exchange cards and that's about it.
We will have pizza for dinner tonight as a family to celebrate the day.

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M.V.

answers from New York on

Yes, we do! Of course, I wouldn't turn down a gift the other 364 days of the year, either! :)
Whatever you do, enjoy the day!

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A.C.

answers from Columbus on

I usually cook a nice meal (or sometimes we'll go out to dinner) and make sure to find a way to get more cuddle time with DH. But we don't really celebrate other than that.

I usually send my mom a Valentine's card, though.

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S.A.

answers from Washington DC on

no, we don't really celebrate Valentine's Day as such. My husband and I exchange cards that are sweet and touching to bring a smile to our faces.
Otherwise, I might cook a nice dinner and spend a little extra time preparing a nice sauce with steak or something like that. We'll have some chocolate for the young kids so they get a little "something special."
I do not enjoy the thought of my husband HAVING to go out and spend money on me just because the advertising and marketing folks out there tell him he has to. I like time spent with my family much more than a gift that I didn't need. ....and that goes for most holidays :) Small traditions that are really meaningful for our family are so much more important to our kids than money spent for no obvious reason.

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

We just do token gifts - nothing big and fancy. We save our big celebration for our anniversary.

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S.O.

answers from Washington DC on

I'm with you. I would rather have a spontaneous show of affection than a choreographed one. My husband and I get cards for each other but that's it. He likes sappy cards so I get him one of those and then a funny one. The deal we have made is that he doesn't "have" to get me flowers on Valentines as long as he does it at some point during the year. That way it's always a nice surprise. Hope you enjoyed your day!

S.

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B.S.

answers from Saginaw on

We have celebrated before...but we both don't do anything big anymore.

This year, by chance, my dad ended up taking our girls Friday night. So we had a little date night that night.

Tonight, it won't be anything special. I usually get a balloon and small gift for the girls (non candy/sweet related).

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H.H.

answers from Washington DC on

my husband and I have never celebrated valentine's day-it was something we decided on our own because we felt that it was just a Hallmark holiday. I feel like you in that you should tell your loved ones you love them everyday not just on a "special" day of the year. To me VDay is just another day. I like it that way and it's less stressful since we have enough other wonderful things in our lives to celebrate.

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J.R.

answers from Davenport on

We do, but no BIG gifts - I usually get one funny card and one mushy card for him and a candy bar. He gets me similar.....we got th ekids each a card and some stickers, and we usually have a special treat of some kind....we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast today, and might have brownies after supper.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

I do, but I don't do the big hoopla many people do. My family gives small, thoughtful gifts for Valentine's Day and cards. Example: This year I got a coffee mug. Our toddler got some small toys. The older kids got a card and candy. DH and I caught a movie and dinner over the weekend. I think it's silly to treat Valentine's Day like Christmas.

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