Valentine day is second most greeting cards sending holiday, just after Christmas. Americans alone spent approx 14.7 Billion dollars on 2009 alone for Valentine day gifts. Men spent lot more about 7 per person and Women were not too far behind with per person on Valentine day gifts.
Valentine day is supposed to show your care and love, everyone you love including, your friends, kids, parents, spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, all people you know and care for. Please be kind to single friends or recently single person in your life, as no holiday should exclude any group or any one.
Why does anyone have to wait for February 14th, to express thier love? Why it can not to be today, tomorrow, or everyday?
Before we had kids, Zenguy one valentine day surprised me by cleaning up computer room mess that was bothering me a lot. That gift meant a lot to me and I still remember it after many years while all sweaters and perfumes gifts are long forgotten. Now as a family, we celebrate it together, this year we are planning to visit a local museum that we all enjoy as a family, un-traditional maybe!, we may have whole museum to enjoy by our self that day who knows.
If you do celebrate this holiday, please take our consumerism out of it and do it from heart and handmade by simply following next few tips for more meaningful holiday.
1. Wish and show love to everyone you know, not only your spouse, or girlfriend/boyfriend.
2. Instead of flowers, give plants or seed packets to your loved one.
3. Cook something together instead of going out to eat.
4. Make handmade coupons to redeem later such as special uninterrupted time together doing something you both or all enjoy.
5. Tell or write 10 reasons why you love them.
Please download free ebook Simplify your Valentine day from New American Dream a group that promotes sustainability and avoiding consumerism. This free e-book has traditional and alternative ways of celebrating this holiday and if you do buy gifts, be a conscious consumer.
Make everyday Valentine day. Wish valentine day to everyone, specially someone who is alone, your single friends, elderly neighbors, your parents, kids. Wishing you all happy and meaningful valentine day.
Zengirl
Great suggestions! Very inclusive and sustainable. I think love is the most powerful thing there is. Imagine how amazing it would be if we all tried #1! I beleive that human beings have a tremendous capacity for love; we just become a bit stuck within our comfort zones. Thanks for this post.
Great post, Zengirl. It is sad how commercial interests have completely hijacked or created holidays to fatten their wallets, and what's even sadder is how many of us actually buy into it! Instead, as you point out, just spending the time together or creating thoughtful gifts of your own is so much more meaningful.
Belinda,
Thank you for kind comment, yes if only we did #1 and got out our comfort zones, world sure would be a different place for us.
Vaishali,
Many holidays have become more commercial and less about people. Yes, like I said, zenguy cleaning up his computer mess was a better gift to me compared to other things I have forgotten now.
Zengirl,
You have given us some nice ideas for enjoying Valentine's Day in a non-commercial way. You make a great point about including everyone, not just spouses or boyfriend/girlfriends!
Betsy:
Thanks for continuing support. My preschooler said happy valentine to everyone past few weeks including neighbor's cats, and I thought why not us. It would be so nice, if we all did that, right?