Valentine's Day is simply a commercial celebration of heteropatriarchy

You could make the argument that holidays (package type deals) are heteronormative - all the adverts for them feature heterosexual couples and often children...

As another poster says whilst it's nice to acknowledge same sex couples if the vast majority of the market are hetero then I can see why most of the marketing reflects that.

Having said that I am in a hetero relationship and so perhaps I am blind to it.

Still hoping some chocolates might appear before the day is out

Nice cards from the DC, though.

We are a lesbian couple who never celebrate Valentine's day. But my DW's birthday is the day before so that has a lot to do with it.

The embodiment of heteropAtriarchy .

DH and I have always considered it to be commercially driven bobbins and have been a bit bemused at people who buy cards and go out for meals at twice the usual price. Slightly amused by DS2’s feeling of obligation re his girlfriend but since it’s Ash Wednesday I think she rightly took the view he wouldn’t be up for a big night out.....

You mean you don't celebrate corporate love day?
I bought dh an ironing board. I was hoping for a new kitchen bin but he let me down :(

None of the "cumpulsory" you must care and show devotion days are compulsory. There are plenty of reasons to ignore them but I don't think yours is a particularly strong one.

I don't bother with any of Valentine's, Mother's or Father's day. A random "saw this and thought you'd like it" given on any random day means more (well to me anyway)

Children thrive and are at their very best when Mum and Dad love each other and share the tasks of family life. No need to consider too many long Latyn phrases really, happy V Day! X

I saw Saint Valentine’s skull in Rome recently (many places report they have it but apparently this is the most likely). I can say it didn’t make me feel particularly romantic.

When ~95% of the population is hetero, it’s hardly surprising. As others have said, I’ve seen stuff from gay friends on FB etc and there’s nothing explicitly excluding them.

I agree crunchymint and EastEnders last night was just disgusting - I don't follow ee honest guv I just put the tv on because I didn't want to miss Shetland.

Anyway, love and peace to all, and hopefully a warmer spring for all of us.

Most cards that are printed as 'to' someone just say wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/fiance/fiancee so there's nothing whatsoever to stop them being bought by same-sex couples for each other.

Yes, of course it's a commercial racket but a well-chosen card cheers up a dark February morning when spring still seems a long way off. You would find it hard to name a type of celebration which hasn't been commercially exploited - it's for the individual to draw the line between those they find pleasurable and those that are a waste of money.

We are reappropriating it from the heteronormative patriachy
I had 3 Facebook posts about it on my timeline- one from some gay friends, one from a female celebrating Galentines, she posted 8 friends' selfies and one bible verse about agape rather than romantic love.
DH sent DS out for flowers for me, because he's away, we don't normally celebrate.

Got DP a card about how bad his farts stink and a wallet tool thingy. Total spend 5£.

OP it absolutely is a commercialised nonsense day (for the vast majority) but can you give us some more reasoning for why you believe it promotes heteropatriarchy? As per pp I know many same sex couples who will 'celebrate' it.

I suppose if you mean the usual cards displayed on stands are for 'his and hers' type gift things then I would understand a little, but I'm not sure....

Same sex couples are free to embrace Valentine's Day, just as heterosexual couples are free to reject it. I bought dh a card but never in my 46 years have I spent lots of money on Valentine's Day stuff.

I don't do velentines because I'm a massive tightwad

This is it. We have shared finances. Why on earth would I want to waste money on the most expensive night of the year, when we can go out any other time, or buy myself some chocs when I do the shopping... We both probably lack the romance gene.

*OTT!

I don't do velentines because I'm a massive tightwad.

Amongst our friends, it’s the gay married couple who’ve gone completely OOT with the valentines celebrations (as they do each year). We do flowers, alcohol, a nice dinner out - of our friend group (age 40/50) married heterosexual couples hardly bother at all.

DP and I don't go in for it, I do find the way my sons bring stuff home they've made for me for valentines a bit weird though if I actually think about it....

it's just for me, they don't make stuff for DP..

It's originally a Pagan festival which like so many others was usurped by a Pope in order to crush the non Christians.
Pagans believe in the Goddess as equal to the God so you can see why they needed expulsion.
The festival was Lupercalia, a celebration of fertility. The Pope was Gelasius in 496 who made it a St day. St Valentine.

No I didn't get a card either!

I read that Valentine rescued young women who were imprisoned in their house because they were not deemed marriageable and gave them a refuge with nuns - nuns then were a sisterhood and had homes to accommodate women who suffered abuse in their family households.