Today I stopped off at our local supermarket on my way home to buy a few things, and I noticed that they've already put together their big row of Valentine's cards and presents. Well, I went over to see what kind of cute ones they had for "girlfriend"... And while I was scanning, I realised one said "grandma". A few along, there's a Disney one for "a special little girl"... I'm going to assume that the supermarket hasn't suddenly decided to cater to incestuous couples and paedos, so can someone tell me why the hell this is a thing now? Are people really trying to buy Valentine's cards for kids and family?
There are people calling their lovers « daddy » or « mommy ». So there are probably some who call them « grandma » or « sweetie ».
"Oh great ancestor, father of our father, first of men" That's it, as of now this is my prefered pronoum, refer to me only using this
Okay, but they'll be buying a lifetime of strange looks~! No, definitely for Valentine's Day. They make a separate row of cards in a different area for when big events come round like this. Also, they said "Happy Valentine's Day".
At least in the US there are two types of valentines. One is romantic and the other is for friends and family. Little kids are often expected to bring valentine cards to everyone in their class, even the kids they don’t know well. For the family cards it is saying ‘I love you’ as family. Not as a significant other. Thus the romantic cards are the mushy ones. Usually only half the cards in the store are romantic cards.
Oh, so this is an American tradition they're trying to bring over? As far as I know, we don't have platonic Valentine's Day at all.
Lololol it's nothing incestous. Well even though Valentine's day is for romantic love interests, isn't it kinda unfair to rule out other forms of love as well? Platonic? Don't our loved and dear ones deserve a special day? I think in modern era we need to have more... Broader perspective. Just like Christmas is enjoyed worldwide even though it doesn't mean everyone is Christian, and even if that doesn't change the fact it is the Birthday of Jesus Christ. Sharing love and appreciation to loved ones is always a good thing... Cards for Grandma were made to express love towards her, platonically. But it's super rare and I super appreciate this (just that I dislike my granny that horrid old hag!)! Well Well that doesn't change Valentine's day is a day for romantic lovers. Fun fact: you know how girls in our all girls school celebrate Valentine's day as well? Lolol we would buy nothing fancy. We would just tear a piece of paper, make hundreds of it, and write "I love you" there lolololol. I remember writing "DAISUKI~♡" there in 10th grade lol. Actually it was a sort of a game lol. A sort of competition on how many "love letters" one is able to collect lol. We would also give those to the teachers and some of them would "turn us down" so savagely lololol. Welp~ what to do lol lack of males, but still that too didn't stop some us to flirt with each other lol. Ofc later on the evening all with bfs would have actual plans lol. Welp! Just share and express your love to your dear ones. I hope you have a amazing day with your girlfriend!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° (I am just gonna stay here and tease ppl lololol (cause there is no school either (◞ ‸ ◟ㆀ))
There are already plenty of holidays to celebrate family. There's Mother's Day and Father's Day (which I've seen being extended to grandmother and grandfather, but I don't mind that so much - it makes sense), and birthdays where that one person becomes the star of the day, and Christmases and Easter are times you're supposed to spend with your family too. At Christmas, even my sister's boyfriend goes home to Germany to see his family and she comes to us. I barely get to message my girlfriend at all, and it's seen as selfish when I do. Valentine's Day is the one day people can devote full-time to appreciating their lover. Anniversaries come close, but they're different for everyone and you have to try and schedule that time together yourselves, and not everyone will care. On Valentine's Day, spending it with your lover is a given. No one can complain if they don't see you that day. For me, it's a relief not to have to worry about my responsibility to my family and focus just on my girlfriend. Changing the day so that I feel obliged to assure gran I still love her with expensive glittery cards will ruin that. Plus there's no way the supermarket is promoting this for the benefit of increasing love. They just want to squeeze more money out of our pockets than they're already making off with from our usual type of Valentine's Day. I don't mind companies adopting American traditions that save me money, but American traditions that cost me money? I refuse! ... Too bad my girlfriend and I are long-distance, so we won't be able to take advantage of Valentine's Day properly. Thanks anyway, though~! (Also, that school tradition sounds so fun! We never had anything except a few "popular" girls showing off that they got one or two.)
This ‘tradition’ is not originally sweet OR romantic. https://www.npr.org/2011/02/14/133693152/the-dark-origins-of-valentines-day The majority of the modern Valentines Day was created by Hallmark... (an American company). After that the chocolate makers and flower sellers convinced the world that they should be part of Valentines Day as well.
Christmas also has rather dark and twisted origins. But it is what it is now and we enjoy it that way.
I know. But complaining about the commercialization of a holiday that has basically been created as a commercial venture just struck me as a bit silly.
I'm complaining that they're getting even sillier with their attempts to suck money out of our pockets. I already know the way they jack up the prices of everything is downright ridiculous. But shops tend to import American traditions even when it doesn't make sense, just to try and force more money their way. We even have Black Friday sales now, even though we don't and will never celebrate Black Friday; that's a strictly American thing. And in this case, I was just saying that there's nothing rose-coloured about the production of these cards. It's not being "extended" for sentimental reasons.