Is Valentine's day sexist?

[edhopper]

First, I think it is a made up bullshit holiday promoted to sell cards, candies, flowers and overpriced dinners.
But have you noticed all the commercials talk about what guys should get their gals.
Cause you gotta buy your best girl shit to keep her happy, or something.

[Siwsan]

1. It is a very old "holy day" honoring a Christian martyr, that has been co-opted by corporate greed

Like most holidays. Which is why I don't bother with them. The most annoying are the "Hallmark Holidays" like 'Bosses Day', 'Sweetest Day', etc. I can't be bothered.

[edhopper]

3. St. Valentine's Day

can be celebrated in all the Churches that want to.
Valentin's Day is hogwash.
It is also very depressing for people who are alone (I am not, but still find it insipid)

[HappyMe]

7. I have been alone on Valentine's Day.

I did not expect those that weren't to stop their celebrations because of me. I don't think celebrating love is hogwash.

edit to add - Maybe my husband and I will go see "50 Shades of Gray". That might be fun.

[hfojvt]

15. I think Charlie Brown sums it up

"I already know that nobody likes me.

Why does there have to be a Valentine's Day to rub it in?"

[HappyMe]

16. *sigh!*

What should happen then? Being alone on Valentine's Day didn't bother me.

I didn't get any birthday cards this year, therefore eliminate all birthdays!

[hfojvt]

17. unless you brought enough love

to share with the whole class, nobody gets anything.

[HappyMe]

18. When I was a kid, we all passed out Valentines to everyone.

Then I grew up.

[Siwsan]

10. Yea, I agree with you 100% - they probably dropped the "St." to make it easier to exploit

I do admit to buying heart shaped boxes of chocolates, when they go on clearance on Feb 15. Yum.

[meow2u3]

2. IDK, but Valentine's Day is highly commercialized

Valentine's Day has religious, namely Christian, origins. It was named for St. Valentine, a cleric who, according to legend, secretly presided over marriages in defiance of the decree issued by Roman Emperor Cladius II, which forbade marriages because the emperor thought single men made better soldiers than married men and those with families.

http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day

http://www.americancatholic.org/features/valentinesday/origins.asp

A quick quiz: St. Valentine was:

a) a priest in the Roman Empire who helped persecuted Christians during the reign of Claudius II, was thrown in jail and later beheaded on Feb. 14.

b) a Catholic bishop of Terni who was beheaded, also during the reign of Claudius II.

c) someone who secretly married couples when marriage was forbidden, or suffered in Africa, or wrote letters to his jailer's daughter, and was probably beheaded.

d) all, some, or possibly none of the above.

If you guessed d), give yourself a box of chocolates. Although the mid-February holiday celebrating love and lovers remains wildly popular, the confusion over its origins led the Catholic Church, in 1969, to drop St. Valentine's Day from the Roman calendar of official, worldwide Catholic feasts. (Those highly sought-after days are reserved for saints with more clear historical record. After all, the saints are real individuals for us to imitate.) Some parishes, however, observe the feast of St. Valentine.

[marions ghost]

4. If extended

to mean Love to everybody (not just lovers). I'm OK with it. Kind of festive in a bleak winter month. Chocolates all around...

[HappyMe]

5. I don't know. I really don't care.

Yeah, it may be too commercialized. But that doesn't mean people have to run out and over-do it. I think every couple can decide for themselves how they celebrate that day.

[bigwillq]

6. No, just stupid.

LOL

[flamin lib]

8. Would Steak and a Blowjob Day even it out? nt

[2naSalit]

13. For those

with penises I suppose.

[Liberal Veteran]

25. In my marriage we both have penises. Who gets the steak and who gets the bj?

[raven mad]

26. LOL!

Both, to both of you!

[2naSalit]

31. Well...

Then I guess you'll maybe have to go Dutch!!

(Honestly, I'm not sure that was a consideration while commenting since I was not halfway through my first cup of coffee!)

No offense in tended! My thought was that BJs refer to penises so...

[mythology]

41. You could cut the steak in two and each get half

But I guess that solution doesn't solve the other half of that dilemma.

[Beaverhausen]

9. I think ads are aimed at men because they are the ones who need to be reminded

Yes, it's a made up holiday but it's fun when you do have a partner. It's better when that partner remembers and doesn't have to be prodded.

I have given my husband some amazing V Day gifts and have gotten very little in return. This year...he may not get anything.

[Agschmid]

11. No.

[Nye Bevan]

12. It's Benevolent Sexism Day.

And gentlemen, don't forget the flowers.

[2naSalit]

14. It's just another day

for those of us who are not driven by commercialism/consumerism and those of us who don't have partners nor want to have them.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

19. If someone insists on finding reason to be unhappy who am I to stop them?

[FrodosPet]

20. Some people seem to LIKE cards, candies, flowers and overpriced dinners

The poor brainwashed fools. There needs to be a massive campaign to educate them that these are terrible commercialized things, and that you should NOT buy a woman cards, candies, flowers and overpriced dinners.

[LanternWaste]

24. You should get right on that and let us know of the progress in your righteous struggles.

"here needs to be a massive campaign to educate them..."

You should get right on that and let us know of the progress in your righteous struggles to determine what baubles and keepsakes people should or should not buy for each other.

[FrodosPet]

29. I will just as soon as I can secure funding

I will need a nice office, some furniture, some assistants, some old and new media money, a lawyer, a lobbyist, an accountant, a PR specialist, and a Tesla to get around in (and a charging station for it at the office).

So how much can I put you down for this quarter? There is the "Lonely Hearts" level for $1,000, the "Love Stinks" level for $5,000, or the "Screw The Valentine Swine" level for $25,000!

[WillowTree]

21. By all means, let's find one more thing to be outraged about!

And by the way.........................GALS??!!!! Really??!!!

[KatyMan]

35. My exact thoughts.

Who cares what other people think of it? I think it's a great day for my wife and me to set aside time to go have a nice lunch or dinner, quaff some champagne and enjoy each others company. We're together all the time anyway, but this one day means we indulge in things we may not normally indulge in. It could be February 14th, it could be May 9th, it's arbitrary, but when in Rome, eh?
And "gals" .... no kidding. Way more sexist than Valentine's Day!

[LanternWaste]

22. The holiday itself seems relatively benign as to gender roles

The holiday itself seems relatively benign as to gender roles. How you, or anyone else chooses to celebrate it or advertise it is no more the fault of the holiday than songs about the moon are the fault of the moon.

[Yavin4]

23. It's patriarchial sexism

Having to buy your wife/girlfriend to prove your love is old fashioned patriarchy.

[NCTraveler]

30. I have never known Valentines Day to be one way only on the gift. nt.

[JustAnotherGen]

37. Amen

My husband always gets an extravagant dinner from me. I cook all the time. Love it. But he knows he's getting filet mignon, lobster, his favorite fudge filled chocolate bundt cake.

My birthday is the 13th so he takes me to dinner.

We aren't hurting anyone by doing that. People don't like Valentine's day - then don't do it.

No two relationships are the same. The UnFuns can just go be UnFuns!

[alarimer]

33. The ones who feel forced to do something probably never bother showing love the rest of the year.

In a genuine relationship, it shouldn't be necessary to make a big deal of Valentine's Day. And it shouldn't require expensive gifts or meals.

I've always suspected that people make a big deal of it when they are not so certain of their relationships.

[HappyMe]

36. That's your story and you're sticking with it.

[KatyMan]

38. I'm in a genuine relationship and we always do something

on V-day. Cards, a meal, whatever. It's nice. Maybe not a 'big deal', but why not pick a random day to do something special for your SO (other than birthday, anniversary, etc)? Might as well be Feb 14.

[JI7]

42. how about the wife or girlfriend who buys gifts for their guys ?

i would say the relationship is not that good in the first place if they view valentines day as needing to buy something to prove their love.

[Rhinodawg]

43. Bingo.

[bobclark86]

27. It's offensive to celibosexuals...

Check your relatio-privilege at the door!

[2naSalit]

32. +1!!!

[NCTraveler]

28. Valentines Day is heavily advertised and with good reason. Many do well with it.

I still love Valentines Day. Then again, I also love giving. Can't wait to see his face this year. And to those who say you can do it any time of year, you are correct. You are also missing the concept of building anticipation and simply a special day for the two of us. Every day is a blessing between us, Valentines day is no more of a blessing. That's not to say it doesn't have its own build up of excitement.

[KatyMan]

39. Well said! n/t

[JustAnotherGen]

34. No - but it's the day that ruins my birthday

[olddots]

40. I'm a cheap date

A big mac and sleeve job will do okay sorry !!!!

[NaturalHigh]

44. No, just kind of a pain in the ass.

I have always absolutely hated it, but I still buy flowers. My wife really only cares about flowers on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and her birthday, so it's a small price to pay.