Of all the naff annual events on a typical western-civilisation calendar, Valentine’s day has gotta be top of the list of all but the most stupid and gullible.

It’s a day when men (and women but mostly men) all over the world are compelled out of some kind of misguided sense of obligation to make largely empty gestures and spend a small fortune on overpriced crappy flowers, sickly chocolates and naffly sentimental cards.

Personally I think the whole thing is part of a global conspiracy involving florists, jewellers, the greetings card and confectionery industries to shift a surplus of the tat that they can’t move in bulk at any other time of the year.

As far as I’m concerned the last Valentine’s day of any note was in 1929

Where I come from, Valentines day is mostly an opportunity for pre-pubescent tweenies to send each other dying flora and sickly-sweet cards. It’s an accepted (albeit laughed at) phase of early teenage angst which most of us grow out of before we hit 18.

I may be a long way from most peoples’ idea of Mr Romantic, but I do believe that actions speak louder than words; love and commitment is about what happens EVERY day, not one day a year. It is certainly not measured for the most part by the typical valentines day tat!

The bottom line here is that if you actually need a day a year to remember to be nice to your spouse, you should have separated/divorced years ago!

That’s why I encourage all rational, intelligent men and women throughout the west to abandon this ridiculous, highly naff annual fiasco. you can start by sending an Anti-Valentine E-card to your nearest and dearest.

+21