Can Valentine's Day survive without creativity?

Is love in the air, or is Saint Valentine's Day now nothing more than what is known as a Hallmark holiday in America, existing primarily for commercial purposes. Wikipedia describes it as an annual holiday held on February 14th, celebrating love and affection between intimate companions and suggests it's traditionally a day when flowers, chocolates and greeting cards are exchanged.

We're confronted with the traditional sight of hearts, doves and cupids, with advertisers or society putting pressure on reluctant givers. When we're given the predictable gift of flowers or chocolates, do we truly feel that this comes from the heart, or do we accept that something is better than nothing and that very little thought went into the sentiment?

Being creative doesn't need to be expensive, in fact it's likely to be far less costly than the over-inflated price of red roses on Valentine's Day that wilt two days later. It's the little things that say the most and can gift a moment of romance which will remain imprinted in your memory forever. A trail of flickering night-lights leading to a special surprise, a fragrant bath floating with dried rose petals, or a hand-made card promising a massage of a romantic day out, shows far more thought than an off-the-shelf greeting or gift.

In the 18th Century, prolific and elaborate love messages were sent in the form of billet-douxs (sweet notes) and became traditional Victorian courtship on Valentine's Day, when the sender would remain undisclosed as the secret Valentine. During the 1880's the creativity of card designers Kate Greenaway and Esther Howland shone through but failed to be continued after the outset of the World War 1, when the tradition faded out.

Bringing it into the 21st Century, what do we have now? A feeling of guilt if we don't come up with the goods and a bored approach to deciding what to send and a 'that will have to do' attitude? Anna-Marie's memory of the Chas 'n' Dave 'I wish I could write a love song' CD posted through the letterbox, made her cringe until she listened to the lyrics.

http;//www.chasndave.com/lyrics/writealovesong.html

It was a million times more poignant and thought-provoking than the last minute dash to buy flowers from the

local petrol station.

So what do you think is the most exciting thing about Valentine's day? Is it the anticipation of receiving anything at all, the anonymity of the giver, or the creativity and thought behind it?

By the way, any unwanted gifts of flowers or chocolates can be delivered to the Bussroot office where they will be disposed of in a discreet and humane manner.