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(Andrew Chin/Getty Images for Vogue)
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I was shopping for Valentine’s Day cards this week and next to me was a woman doing the same. After a few minutes her husband approached and she told him she was having a difficult time finding a card for a family member. He had that “I don’t care” look on his face and exasperated he finally said ”when is Valentine’s Day anyway.” My first thought was this guy is in trouble.

For those that somehow have not seen or heard the commercials and ads that have been prominent for the past week or so let me give you a heads-up: Valentine’s Day is this Sunday, February 14th. I have said for many years it’s a poor excuse for a holiday which is celebrated by many, ignored by plenty and despised by others.

If you look into the history of the day you’ll likely read something about how it dates back to the 5th century and is named for a Christian martyr but we know it’s really a creation of florists, jewelers, candy makers and those nice people at Hallmark Cards who also have a TV network that shows really sappy movies featuring actors whose careers have fizzled.

It’s gotten even worse in recent years because for two weeks we’re slapped in the face by the folks at Vermont Teddy Bear who this year are trying to convince people to purchase a Hunka Love Bear from 4-6 feet tall. Come on.

Whether I think it’s a holiday or not it is the second biggest card-giving occasion behind only Christmas and some florists will tell you Valentine’s Day is equal to an entire month’s worth of business as more than 100 million roses (mostly red) will be sold. Jewelry is a big item which gets an added boost because many couples will get engaged this weekend while many will break up likely because one half comes up real short in the gift-giving department.

Those are often the guys you’ll see in a drug store on Sunday when there’s only a few cards left so they’re forced to buy one that’s not more suited for a friend then lover. Then they make it worse by purchasing a single rose (those cheap ones in plastic) and an even cheaper box of chocolates. They hand this all to a girl who has taken time to carefully select a really nice gift which is wrapped beautifully along with a card expressing her love.

The end result: 87 years later the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is alive and well.

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