“If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular ?”
Posted by Big John on February 13, 2008
It seems that my local Sainsbury’s has no sooner cleared away the surplus Christmas and New Year’s goodies and booze, than they have trotted half of it back out again for bloody Valentine’s Day repackaged in pink and red and covered in hearts and chubby infants armed with bows and arrows.
I seem to remember that it was once called Saint Valentine’s Day, but I suppose that the ‘Saint’ got dropped in the same way that Jesus has disappeared under a mountain of chocolate eggs at Easter.
As I recall, it used to be the custom that you sent an anonymous card to the person who you fancied in the hope that they would guess who it was from and respond accordingly. A charming and innocent piece of nonsense that cost almost nothing.
Now it would appear that you have to demonstrate your love with all sorts of expensive gifts, magnums of Champagne, armfuls of flowers, huge boxes of chocolates and even cards with the greeting … ”From our dog to your dog on Valentine’s Day”… (note .. St. Valentine is the patron saint of greeting card manufacturers).
As with the way we now celebrate Mother’s Day (coming soon) , Halloween and other special occasions in this country, I assume that modern Valentine’s day started life in the USA and like so many unwanted aspects of American life, somehow found it’s way ‘across the pond’, where it has become another festival more about making money than anything else.
Right! … So that’s my grumpy old git rant for today. I’m now off to give my wife a big kiss, to tell her how much I love her … and to …
… kick a little cupid up his big fat arse ! 
SilverTiger said
The ambition of the retail trade is to fill in all those empty gaps when nothing special is happening and to have an endless series of special occasions throughout the year. They haven’t quite succeeded but they’re getting there.
The result, of course, is “special occasion fatigue”, where the consumer becomes sick of “special occasions” and turned off by them. It may take some time for the retail trade to realize this.
(Saint) Valentine’s is quite interesting, though. Time was when men knew nothing about female underwear and were too embarrassed to go anywhere near the underwear rails in department stores. That’s changed. Modern man proudly buys underwear for his beloved. There’s a rumour that some of the more skilled even know how to undo a bra.
‘Undo a bra’, Tiger. I’m still working on unbuttoning a liberty bodice.
John-Ward Leighton said
is that like an Iron Maiden girdle where you fell asleep before you could get it off.
ha ha
JWL
Never came across one of those J-W. I think that our generation had the best of it in those far off days before tights (panty-hose). Ah, those stocking tops and suspenders.
Maria said
OH John, once again I am the typical American that gives a bad name to Valentine’s Day. If you visit my blog you will realize why and I hope you will forgive me for my “dressed up doggie” photo.
The puppies were delighted with all the attention. The photo not included but priceless, is our old Dachshund (who might just be English)wearing the pink ruffled dress and looking as sorrowful as Saint Valentine just before he reached martydom.
Your doggie picture is great Maria and there is nothing to forgive
as you are a citizen of the great US of A which entitles you to enjoy all things American. My objection is to the money grabbing businesses in the UK who ‘latch on to’ US special occasions, holidays etc. as a way of increasing their profits.
Ginnie said
Per usual, John, reading your blog is a learning experience. I didn’t know that St. Valentine is the patron saint of greeting card manufacturers!! Is St. Patrick the patron saint of green beer?
You can tell how little I know and I will continue to check in to your blog to get the “real” facts.
Terri said
I’m still chuckling. But you certainly hit an element of truth….it seems over here on this side of the pond WHATever sells and makes the companies money, then advertisers go nuts to make sure it happens.
Funny….I’d totally forgotten that when I was in school, (Catholic school, of course) we DID call it SAINT Valentine’s Day. And I thought it was much cuter to do the paper valentine’s with our classmates rather than the corporate fiasco the holiday has turned into.