Let’s face it; Valentine’s Day is not about the love, it’s about the candy.
It’s Halloween in February.
Do you realize that the candy conversation hearts and red-foiled Hershey Kisses you bought earlier today have been on store shelves since December 27th?
What’s more, did you happen to notice that while you were loading up on heart-shaped paper plates, overpriced flowers and bags of Dove chocolates, Easter displays were being erected just one aisle over?
So, if your kid freaked out a Target today after seeing a half-naked chubby baby with wings shooting arrows from a bow, all you needed to do to placate him was stroll 10 feet to the left of the SpongeBob SquarePants Valentine’s Day cards and hand your little screamer a package of neon blue Peeps chicks.
Don’t get me wrong; I love love. Love getting it, giving it and being surrounded by it.
I’m all about the love, but to me, Valentine’s Day has morphed into another day that kids are allowed to gorge on empty calories. Only, instead of donning a costume and hitting up neighbors to fuel their sugar high, children get their fix from classmates who haphazardly scotch tape chocolate to cards that are so tiny only half your kid’s name fits on the “TO:” line.
But, does anyone really care about Valentine’s Day cards? Or flowers or teddy bears hugging plump, red hearts emblazoned with xoxoxoxo? No way. We want the candy. And maybe a Dyson. But mostly candy.
Fortunately, parents don’t have to dig deep to pay for costumes in order for their kids to score sweet treats in February. However, that doesn’t mean others won’t be dressing up–or down–to collect their Valentine’s Day goodies.
While you won’t see a lot of sexy pirates, nurses, devils and cats roaming the streets. Lingerie sales don’t spike near Love Day for no reason. And unfortunately, for some, those inappropriately sexy outfits won’t be reserved exclusively for the bedroom. How much you wanna bet that someone in your office will show up on Tuesday wearing a fire-engine red camisole or some other hideous silk number under the guise of spreading Valentine’s Day cheer?
So, moms and dads: What’s your feeling about Valentine’s Day? Is it more trick than treat?