Let me start off by saying, Valentine’s Day is overrated and I’m glad it’s over!

What can I say? I don't dislike the holiday, just that I never, ever got excited about it. Never. Ever.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for love, I’m a huge romantic, but to me over priced boxes of candy, expensive bouquet of red roses and greeting cards don’t say love.
Like we all really need another thing to spend money on and just barely two months after Christmas, right?

I’m not even going to get into how rushed and forced it all feels. For example, I went into Target right before Christmas and I saw the pink and red heart shaped stuff already stocked on the shelves. Even before the After-Christmas sales were wrapped up! But that’s another rant for another day.

Okay, okay so Hallmark didn't exactly create Valentine's Day, but boy, oh boy do they sure benefit from it, big time! If you want a good laugh, go to a Hallmark store Feb. 14 and watch grown men freaking out trying to pick out just the “right” card for their snickerdoodle. Or, better yet visit your nearest grocery store and watch people fight over the shriveled up remains of flowers- any flowers in desperation. Too funny!

Now let’s move on to another issue of Valentines Day- the Candy. There is only one aspect of the Valentine's Day candies that I like: The mini red-hot fire candy thingys (sorry, I don't know the exact name for them.). They are basically smaller than M&M’s and they are red and cinnamon flavored and they are hot. Actually they're not really that hot unless you eat a lot of them. Anyway, they are good.

Who is this "St. Valentine" guy anyway? Catholics claim he was third century roman priest who conducted marriages in secret even though marriage was prohibited by Emperor Claudius II. The emperor had prohibited men in his army to marry, because he felt their strength would be sapped!

So let me get this straight. Sometime around 1500 years ago there may have been a priest or monk or roman god or whatever that married soldiers, joined a cult, scared away dogs, or resurrected kids.
What exactly does that have to do with naked angels firing arrows and stuffed animals holding flowers?

But don't take my word for it- I’m a little light-headed. I've been eating those yummy red hots and candy hearts all day. Check out these interesting facts:

Valentine’s Day Trivia
-Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.

- About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year; which makes it the biggest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, second to Christmas of course!

- Valentine's Day is the big time of year for red roses. In fact, over 110 million roses (mainly red), will be sold and delivered within a 3-day period.

-Valentine's Day is big business. Consumers will spend an average of $77.43 on Valentine's Day gifts this year. Retailers expect to rack up about $650 million in sales of food, candy, flowers, and other Valentine's Day gifts.

-About $350 million will be for gifts and flowers and another $45 million will be spent on food (including chocolate) and wine.

-In the middle Ages, people believed that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse. Sweet.

-In the middle of the 17th century even married people took a Valentine - not always their legal better half! Kinky.

- Celebrating Valentine's Day is a sin in Saudi Arabia. Apparently, as Muslims they aren’t allowed to celebrate a non-Muslim holiday - especially one that encourages immoral relations between unmarried men and women. Weird.

-“National Condom Awareness Day” is also on February 14, Valentine’s Day. Sweet. Kinky and Weird.

So I say thank goodness Valentines Day is over! That means the Peeps can come out of hiding. I really missed those little guys.