As a hopeless romantic, you probably expect that I love the celebration of Valentine’s Day, but it’s not a holiday that I spend much time celebrating.  Don’t get me wrong, the notion of having a whole day devoted to celebrating love is a great idea, but I definitely feel like the holiday has been hijacked by companies who make lots of money during Valentine’s Day.  Here are some of my biggest problems with the big commercial enterprise that Valentine’s Day has turned into.

Valentine’s Day gifts have gotten more expensive- Here is the progression:

1. Cards- When I was a kid all anybody received for Valentine’s Day was a card, regardless of whether you were newly dating or married for years.
2. Chocolate- Somewhere along the way giving chocolates became the norm.  The standard was the heart shaped box of inexpensive mixed chocolates.
3. Gourmet chocolates replaced the generic box of assorted chocolates. Way better tasting, but way more expensive.
4. Flowers, or more precisely 1 dozen red roses became a Valentine standard.
5. Diamonds have now become the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift. I love diamonds just as much as any woman, but I think that unless you’re getting engaged diamonds are excessive for this holiday.

The Valentine’s Day Premium- I admit that I’m a very thrifty person, but I don’t know anyone who wants to pay more for something just because businesses have changed the message of Valentine’s Day from “I love you” to “I love when you spend your money.”  The exact same roses, chocolates and jewelry all have jacked up prices during Valentine’s day and can often be purchased for half the price if you bought them in March.  Same thing with that Valentine’s Day dinner at your favorite restaurant.  You will pay substantially more for the same meal on Valentine’s Day than you would if you went there a few days later.

Everyone has jumped on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon- What used to be the domain of florists, card companies and candy makers has now expanded into products and events that have no connection to saying I love you.  Even our hockey stadium offers a  Valentine’s Day package. As much as I love the sport, to try to sell the notion of watching guys getting slammed into the glass as a way to express your love is just stretching things too far.

I even saw a vacuum cleaner company that has a Valentine’s Day promotion. This is just so wrong. If your man’s idea of saying I love you involves upgrading your vacuum cleaner, then you may need to consider upgrading your man.  The only exception is if it comes with a signed and notarized statement that he will do all the vacuuming from that point forward.

So there are some of my pet peeves with how commercialized Valentine’s Day has become.  I miss the days when a special card with a personal message was more than enough and would be displayed on the mantle like a prized possession.  If you really want to express how much you love that special person in your life, focus on saying and showing that you love them everyday instead of once a year.

What do you think? Am I a Valentine’s Day Scrooge or is there too much hype for this holiday?  How will you spend Valentine’s Day?  Please share in the comments section.