Commercial 'Celebrations"

The above poster pretty much sums up how I feel about Valentines Day.....GRRRR! Another corporate cash grab that markets to our kids and pressures the parents to buy Valentines for their classmates, heart candy and cards for the teachers. Couples are suppose to give each other gifts, flowers, chocolates and go for a nice dinner out. Yeah right! It's all so absurd!
Valentine's Day is one of the major holidays in the West and has become a booming commercial success. According to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year are "valentine"s. How many trees is that? And to make this commercial holiday even worse there is a growing Anti-Valentines Day movement that has there own set of crap to sell as well. Really?

Why do we buy into these commercial holidays? Personally I'm tired of the materialistic commercial holiday. It's like a global "Keeping up with the Jones". Christmas has become who has the best lights display and who got more gifts. Halloween has boomed as a close second for decorations. All those resources and money to outdo your neighbors? It is fun to decorate but why do we have to make them bigger, better, brighter? Have we become so brainwashed to consume that we don't stop to think about why we are doing it? Consumerism is another religion. It has taken away people's time...they work longer to buy more....stores are open later or 24 hours.....everything is open on Sundays now (which used to be a family day for all/church day).......a legitimate family day is spent at the mall buying stuff instead of at a table playing board games or crafts or going outside to play. With the rise of available credit the commercialization of holidays has taken away our focus for the reasons behind them....and cheapened their meaning. Do you really need chocolates, flowers and a card from hubby on that exact day to reaffirm your love? How about reaffirming every day with communication and affection....THAT has meaning.

So yes I HATE Valentines Day...but I'm certainly not going to go buy Anti-Valentines cards. I feel pressure to get Valentines for my kids to give out and that just makes me angry. I purchased some for Ty for his party tomorrow and now have to get 3 more sets for the other boys. I'll take the hit financially and for my score but I resent it mightily.

So our score is 39/41 days without retail therapy.  I have been hiking everyday though....and feel fantastic!

XO