Went for a run today. My body didn’t feel like one but I needed to get out of the house. It’s been a week largely home based working on mind numbingly boring spreadsheets. To keep me sane the radio has been blasting out. Problem is that increasingly the airwaves are filled with adverts. The dreaded Valentines Day ones. Apparently it’s next Friday. Would never have guessed that one. You know the adverts
- Your special one deserves the best so buy them this special…..
- What better way to spend Valentines Day than to have that special candle lit meal….
- Looking for that gift that shows how much your loved one means to you….
I really understand Valentines Day. To many people it’s a great romantic day. Before the world changed I would have lapped up those adverts. But now it’s a very different world for me. Now it’s cheap commercial marketing. You can only be in true love if you spend lots of money. Sometimes I think advertisers forget about the real world. True love doesn’t rest on money. It’s also a world which isn’t perfect. People are lonely. People are grieving. People are abused. People are in relationships where love has died. Some people are loners. So to many Valentines Day is a nightmare. An unwanted reminder of life. It is to me. Every advert reminds me of a life now gone. It’s like a dagger through my heart. So eventually one too many adverts forced me to hit the trail. As ever a run often delivers a lightbulb moment. Let’s turn this into a little game.
When I get back I will become the Valentines Day Advert Referee. Every time I hear a company doing an overtly romantic advert then I will give them a red card. The red card comes with an automatic one month ban. I will boycott that company for a month. The first red card was awarded to a local Flower Shop chain. Unlikely that I would use them but anyway they are on the banned list. Suddenly I’m not the one hiding behind the chair. I’m in charge. The banned list started to fill up. Rather annoyingly my local supermarket made the list. That’s me shopping at the next towns rival shop. Then M&S became a repeat offender. Clearly a one month ban was not a sufficient deterrent. For the second offence it’s a three month boycott. Twenty minutes later they offended again. Now it became a 6 month shopping boycott. I warned the radio the fourth advert would bring a lifetime boycott of the shop. Clearly that threat worked. The annoying M&S special meal for two advert stopped.
Suddenly it was time to do the school run. Again more Valentine adverts on the radio. More boycotts handed out. Tempted to increase the punishments as many kids are likely to be listening now. Many kids suffer Valentines blues as well. Then the red line was crossed. Another M&S advert. That’s it. It’s a lifetime shopping ban. That’s a new shop needed for the school uniform and shirts then.
The banning game helped distract me today. But the bottom line is the 14th February is a difficult time for many. The last thing we need is week upon week of adverts rubbing salt into the wound. Maybe we need a new rule. Valentines Day adverts can only start on the 13th. At least then we just need to avoid the world for two days. But at the current rate I will be boycotting thousands of shops by next Friday.
Just think of it as my birthday 😊
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Now that’s cool. It’s my nephews birthday as well.
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And my oldest granddaughter’s♥️
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Makes it great day then.
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You have 2 reasons to be happy now 🎂
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That’s very true.
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Here’s a list of alternative holidays you can celebrate:
Frederick Douglass Day
International Book Giving Day
League of Women Voters Day
Library Lovers Day
National Condom Awareness
Day
National Creme-Filled
Chocolates Day
National Donor Day
National Ferris Wheel Day
National Have a Heart Day
National Pet Theft Awareness
Day
National Women’s Heart Day
No One Eats Alone Day – February 14, 2020
Pet Theft Awareness Day
Quirky Alone Day
Race Relations Day
Singles Awareness Day (S.A.D.) (some celebrate this on the 13th or 15th, to get away from the commercialization of Valentine’s Day). Also known as Singles Appreciation Day
Statehood Day in Arizona – (Local Observance in Arizona)
World Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day
World Sound Healing Day
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Which one will you get behind.
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I AM a lover of Libraries📚, and Quirky Alone is cool, but Ferris Wheels🎡… it’s a tough decision… especially when pets are being stolen🙀
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Maybe we should have a sleep more than 3 hours day.
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I could definitely get behind THAT!
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Well let’s hope. x
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Quirky Alone Day, you and your son could star your own fun tradition. 🙂
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That’s an idea.
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I like your idea … I always thought it was the dumbest holiday anyway! Well, maybe no dumber than “Sweetheart’s Day” (what’s the difference, anyway?) Happy Nothing Day!!! 😊
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Wait till you get Trump Day. Not sure our PM would do that.
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Shoot me now. 🙄
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How long before he starts doing that as well.
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After yesterday? Could be any time.
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Yes it’s all gone very unstable.
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happy wear a plunger on your head day!
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Now that’s one I can support.
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I like that one!!!
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I’m pleased.
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I don’t think that valentine day in today’s world has anything to with love anymore. It’s all about making money with emotional blackmailing susceptible people.
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I don’t mind the idea of cute cards and candy even though I’m alone, but I cannot stand companies trying to convince people to go into debt for jewelry and other ridiculous items on any day. I just hate it!
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It’s not right but they don’t care.
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I am anti-commercialized holidays in general. Ugh. And I dislike shopping to begin with.
Having said that, my mom and daughter hand craft cards. That’s different. 😉
But they also do that for birthdays and other holidays.
Anyway…your banning thing is a great idea!
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Craft cards are great.
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Yes, I agree that Valentine’s Day is really painful for a lot of people, perhaps even the majority of people … And true love isn’t about giving someone a card or some flowers … it’s about being there in all the everyday moments, and knowing that this person cares deeply for you. I’m glad you’ve known and given that love …. But I’m also truly sorry that you lost your partner. So tragic.
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Thank you. Like many things these days – it’s just gone commercially OTT.
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I banned it years ago, helped I had an ex whose birthday it was. Other days I refuse to celebrate include mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers day. If I could get away with Easter, Halloween and Christmas I would as well, but the small one objects
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Can’t argue with you.
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I also boycott all shops that start to early, my local shop is Co-Op they had Easter Eggs out on the 27th December, I haven’t been in there since
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Wow that’s early. The local shop advertised hot cross buns for Easter in January. Problem was that they went out of date before Easter would arrive.
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I boycott anyone who starts things too early, its drives me nuts, probably fueled by the fact I use to work in retail
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When you do boycott someone you quickly move on and often never go back again.
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I know, I am hoping Amazon are not going to do anything stupid, otherwise I am going to be screwed
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So far Amazon have been faultless. M&S are banned for many generations.
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They don’t pay their taxes and I did boycott Starbucks for the same reason, but it was much easier to give up £4 coffees than Christmas presents
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A couple of coffee shops got banned today. No sad loss.
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And they wonder why the high street is dying
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In many places it’s dead.
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Same here, our high street is estate agents, charity shops and nail bars
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Don’t forget the tattoo studios and the every thing for a pound shops.
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We dont have tattoo studios, the everything for a pound we do
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Scarily many of the pound shops have sales on at present.
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That is worrying
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It is when we get most of his school uniform from M&S
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Ouch, thats the main reason why my friend doesn’t boycott them, because they have the only school uniform which her son will wear, everything else she has tried he hates the feeling on his skin, as soon as she doesn’t have to buy it, she is going to boycott them, sometimes your morals have to be a little bit flexiable when it comes to your child
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No they are officially banned now. Will get the uniform from ASDA now. Bet it’s cheaper and I bet they are better at returning stuff.
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Oooohh you are being strict. Asda or Tesco are pretty good and everyone is better at returning stuff than M&S apart from apparently Zara
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Heard a another horror story on the radio about M&S. They are clearly becoming increasingly horrible.
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I think once they figured out people where taking the piss with their return policy they went completely the other way
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Went too far.
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Think of it as The St. Valentine Day’s Massacre. 7 men/associates of Chicago’s North Side were shot by 4 unknown men dressed as police officers. Celebrate the wickedness. Not the icky lovey dovey crap. I don’t believe in it at all other than I get Tember a card and candy. 🙂
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Yes I’ve heard of that.
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🤓💜
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My beloved and I resolutely ignore Valentine’s Day. In fact neither of us is big on holidays, birthdays or anniversarys. I do like your idea of boycotting repeat offenders.
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It’s not needed to show your love.
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So true!
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Thank you
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I don’t “do” holidays but most especially that commercial farce. I fully support “singles awareness day” but even that isn’t enough to get me out of the house. Far better to wait till Feb 15 and buy gobs of chocolate for 1/2 price!!
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Yes the cheap chocolates are a boon.
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Hmm…we really don’t celebrate Valentine’s day. It is so commercialized nowadays.
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It’s gone OTT.
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Fully understood. I’ve had times when I’ve identified. You can always pardon the shops after the event so you don’t shoot yourself in the foot.
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No I suspect the M&S one will stick. Kinda feels good to ban them.
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We don’t tend to pay a lot of attention to Valentine’s day — if things work out timewise, we might do something, otherwise we won’t bother. That said, the endless commercialisation of these holidays does get very annoying after a while.
On a slightly related note, did you know that February 12th is Darwin Day. A good day to go and do something sciency 😉
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No I didn’t but now we will do something on the 12th.
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Like Christmas, it’s too commercialised with big companies out to make bigger profits.
Last year, Hubby and I shared a portion of fish and chips from the local chippy for a change. The batter was soggy on the bottom and a bit tasteless and the chips too many even though it was a single portion. This year, we might invest in a piece of steak I’ll cook at home, which will surprisingly cost about the same.
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The sharing some chips was a great idea, shame they were soggy. My partner would always say she didn’t want any then she would eat my portion.
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I know that feeling too!
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You don’t mind one or two but …..
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We were so broke when we first met, we’d buy a portion of chicken fried rice with sweet and sour sauce, and ask for two forks. Happy days.
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As a kid it was chips with scraps.
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As kids, we just had the scraps as they were a penny a bag. Fish and chips used to be a cheap meal, but now it’s almost as expensive as steak!
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It’s scary expensive now. Plus they are not as good.
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I agree there. We had a serving of white ‘slugs’ from one chippy as there was no way they ere chips. Gross. The whole lot got binned.
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We have to travel to Whitby to get old style chips.
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I’ve heard they’re worth it though.
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Yes but they cost a fortune. Not had them in years.
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Comes to something when you practically need a mortgage for what used to be considered a cheap meal. 😦
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Must admit it’s over a year since we bought from a chip shop. It’s not as good but at least Lidl chips are only £1 a bag which lasts us ages.
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I got rid of my fryer years ago, and stopped buying oven chips in favour of garlic seasoned wedges (Aldi). A pack costs 75p or thereabouts and we get at least five meals out of it, 10-12 for Hubby as I don’t usually have them anyway.
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Will look out for them. We go over chips flooded with Ketchup.
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Honestly, the “holiday” *is* purely commercial. One of my least-favorite things is seeing all the resigned men buying a rose or chocolates at the grocery store on the 14th. Maybe if they looked happier doing it, I’d believe they actually wanted to.
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Here you see them in the petrol station on the way home. Wonder you many partners get a tin of 4 stroke as a gift.
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😀
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I like your red card idea. Thankfully, since I listen to books all the time now I am missing all the commercials. That would be annoying. Well worth a boycott!
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Do you run until the chapter is finished or can you stop midway.
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I can’t listen to it while I run. I don’t listen to anything while I run. I listen when I drive so I don’t hear the radio. Really takes up the time!
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If I’m chasing a time then I need no distractions but other times it helps me
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I tried once – It was when I was trying to run for three hours. I guess I felt intimidated by my quest because I couldn’t focus on what was being said so I just turned it off.
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What do you think about on a run then. My danger is that I start to overthink.
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Gosh, I don’t know. I find if I think about people or things that bother me, I run awful. I can think about the schedule and be okay. I think about things to write about. I dunno?
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I often run best when my brain switches off. Problem is that since I had to change my running stride I can’t switch off as I quickly fall back into bad habits.
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I love the photo. I’m sorry about the Valentines Day grief. It’s an awful day, even with someone to share it with. I always felt it was too much pressure, and I messed up many a Valentines Day by being a fickle emotional woman. Ugh…
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I can’t believe that. As Son pointed out it’s also the day the school breaks up for a week, so that’s good.
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Lucky for you the local advertisers only have so much to spend on these ads hehe
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Yes mainly the big players got onto the list.
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Thanks for reminding me of the M&S meal deal! Must head out soon and buy it. 😏
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Pleased to be of service for a change.
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I believe it’s all about the sales. Sadly.. I never liked Valentine’s Day I believe the person in your life should be special every day. And for the love ones passed it should be a day of honoring them. I’m happy you made it out for a run .its good to be out and about less thinking. Hugs to you.
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Hugs to you xx
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Thank you.🙂
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Thank you
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I’ve always hated V Day, whether single or coupled. It makes me want to puke. This is a bit more up my street:
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/ancient-rome/lupercalia
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That would liven up the day a tad.
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I thought so too! 🤣
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Be great tv as well.
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I agree on the bans! The money these people think adults can whip out to spend on what is essentially a made-up holiday is ridiculous. It’s one thing to promote DOING something together with loved ones, but shelling out a couple grand for blah blah blah is just foolish. Does your son’s school do anything on Valentine’s Day? The kids here give their classmates valentines.
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No never at school. He just can’t get his head round the concept. Suspect it’s another day that reminds him of his mum.
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I love your idea to punish companies for their innane Valentine’s marketing ploys. As for Marks and Sparks, they have been on my banned list for years. They would not accept some old (but not dated) gift certificates. They had issued them instead of a proper refund on a purchased item for my aged Mother-in-law that didn’t fit when I tried it on her (She was in a dementia home). When I went to use them, they said, we no longer honour those… It was advertised that they’ll were ending. Well I did not see that in the newspapers which I don’t buy, or the TV that I rarely watch. I wrote to head office… (now costing me time and postage), and they said ‘nope,’ not refunding your £15… So that was it. Been 10 years since they even saw my foot in the door! Charlatans.
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That’s awful. They have lost the link with customers. Given the number of adverts they are doing daily. They are definitely banned for generations.
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Can you turn off the radio so you dont have to shop out of town, and turn on Pandora or similar or even CDs where you can choose what you listen to?
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Yes it’s now off for a while.
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I’ve been reposting my own “five reasons to boycott Valentine’s Day” the past several years – I appreciate you put yours to action!
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M&S are now banned for generations.
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Well, I am not a huge fan of Valentines Day myself. We, in Romania have a different celebration for Love which is called “Dragobete” but I am not dying for that one either.
I believe that love must be expressed every day to the loved ones that are besides us and not in a specific day.
In my turn I managed to make a present for my loved one but ended up home after a long tiring day at work, with a foggy vision and low spirit. So, Valentines day is just pretext to offer something to a specific dear one and to love apparently.
But I did not felt in the mood to love anyone that day. Not even myself.
So I totally understand you.
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It’s not good when you end up feeling like that. It just drains you. Live doesn’t need its own day as it should be all year round. Through good and bad days. x
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I think Valentine’s Day is a very different holiday for different people. For those in a close, romantic relationship, it’s fun. But for those who are single, or those who are grieving a loved one, it’s a horrible reminder of what they don’t have. I wish it could just be about love in all it’s forms, because that’s something everyone could celebrate. Meanwhile, I say you should ignore it if you want!
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That would make the day work. Especially if the commercial side was dropped.
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