Just a little poll here. How many of you live somewhere where they celebrate this insipid holiday? I live in Michigan and nowhere else do I know of where they even know what this Hallmark holiday even is. It's like, the third Friday in October and tons of idiots go out and buy their significant others gifts like it's a second Valentine's Day (which is shitty enough). If no replies get posted to this, I will assume I am alone in being forced to buy my wife some ridiculously overpriced piece of jewelry to confirm my love for her (as if a guarantee of her taking over 50% of my ass...er, assets should we divorce is not enough).
If nothing else, I can vouch for the good Reverend's claims of Michigan being SWEETEST DAY CUH-WAZY! I had the honor of ringing up a number of items of jewelry in the past 2 days, as the craze is sweeping the state and/or city.
I will close with two tie-in items. The first, a story from today- a woman was too tired to put her items up on the conveyer belt, so I scanned everything in her cart for her so that it didn't have to be moved. She kept commenting on how nice I was, and said that I was a nice enough guy that she would let me date her daughter. The daughter instantly replied, "eww gross!" followed by a brief pause and a "oops, sorry" to yours truly. It's fun situations where a compliment turns into another person's horror and you're labeled as "eww gross" that make EVERYday Sweetest Day!
And this, the second item, sums up the little holiday in question quite nicely.
Manager: Okay, people. We need to cook up a new holiday for the summer. Something with, eh, gifts, cards, assorted gougeables.
Woman: How about something religious? We had great penetration last spring with "Christmas II"!
Man: Ooh, I know, Spendover, like Passover but less talk, more presents!
The businesspeople around the table break into serious discussion, until the cigar-smoking man breaks them up. He decides the holiday needs to be something warm and fuzzy, like "Love Day," only not so lame.
Cut to the Simpsons in their TV room celebrating Love Day. Homer opens his gift on the coffee table. It's a talking toy bear with an annoyingly sweet mechanical voice, dressed in a knight's clothing.
Bear: I'm Sir Loves-A-Lot! The bear who loves to love. Homer: They didn't have Lord Huggington? Marge: It's the same basic bear, Homey. Homer: [dejected] I guess.
While I appreciate the romantic notion of Valentines Day (and now, Sweetest Day), I really can't say I appreciate corporate America (or for my part, Canada) dictating a specific time frame for letting our loved ones know how much we adore them.
Anyhow, I'll shut up now...
Oh yeah...and since I'm single again, I'll ignore "Sweetest Day".
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I used to live in Ohio, and they have it there, although it never seemed very popular. For those who don't know, it really is a holiday made up by the Hallmark corporation to sell more cards and junk. It (was, is?) being testmarketed in a couple key states in the mid-West. I don't know if they still plan on going national with it some day or not.
Originally posted by Tenken347I used to live in Ohio, and they have it there, although it never seemed very popular. For those who don't know, it really is a holiday made up by the Hallmark corporation to sell more cards and junk. It (was, is?) being testmarketed in a couple key states in the mid-West. I don't know if they still plan on going national with it some day or not.
When we lived in Indiana, Sweetest Day was referred to as "that stupid Hallmark holiday" by everyone except a few pathetic losers. Then, we moved to Michigan and now everyone thinks we are weird because we don't celebrate the stupid holiday. I guess it's a testament to the power of aggressive marketing and the inability of some people to separate love and "things".
Tim
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First I ever heard of this day was listening to the FAN the other day and either Mike or the Dog doing a Vermont Teddy Bear ad for it, all the while my wondering what the fuck they were talking about.
I had never heard of it until a few years ago at college, when some friends from the Northern KY / Cincinnati area were talking about it. So, so far we've got MI, IN, and OH. Anyone else?
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My mother's (late) boyfriend was a fan of Sweetest Day, as it was a long distance relationship and he liked any excuse to send her crap, really.
He lived in Michigan, but spread the idea to upstate New York by sending crap to my mother.
She, in turn told me about it, so I was aware only of its existence until I got spam from 1800flowers.com (send one Mother's Day bouquet...) telling me about it. I don't know how much you're supposed to drop on one of these marketing constructs anyway, and my new ladyfriend had never heard of it, so I quickly dropped it.
But I took her to "Kill Bill Vol 1" and The Rat Pack Cafe in Framingham MA(home of Lou Merloni). I think she had a good time. In essence though, I spent Sweetest Day like I would have spent any night where I'd take a classy broad out.
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My fiancee and I here in NJ saw a display for Sweetest Day cards at our local Target, and immediately brushed it off as blatant marketing tripe. Although while it sounds like most of us at the W are doing such, I'm sure there are enough sheep out there that within a decade this will be a second Valentine's Day, much to the benefit of Hallmark's bottom line.
And I don't know about the rest of you, but two week's ago was Customer Service Week at the company where I'm temping. One cannot argue with any celebration that nets a week of free lunches.
I had no idea Sweetest Day was a regional "holiday". I don't believe in it and let my girl know this every year. She doesn't either, but still gets upset when I don't get her flowers. Oh well, she'll get over it.
Wait a minute....you mean to say the whole country hasn't had "Sweetest Day" foisted upon them?! Okay, this has me pissed off beyond all words right now. What did we here in IL do to deserve this?
Originally posted by spf2119What did we here in IL do to deserve this?
Ooohh...such a loaded quote for a Wisconsinite...but I'll be nice.
I'll reconfirm the Wisconsin ties...me and the Mrs. got married on a Sweetest Day (not on purpose...it just happened to fall on our day).
We pretty much ignore it as well, unless you count going to Fright Fest at Six Flags as a Sweetest Day present? Not what Hallmark had in mind, I think.
Blanket, what's really funny is that only later will you realize that on some level you miss it. We live over 1,000 miles from where we were born and raised.