I'm celebrating My Taxes Are Filed Day. Soon to be followed by Spending the Return Day.

Of course the headache I have now is worth it for our return but still.

Prior to having kids, the holidays were less important, but I'm starting to enjoy their participation and fun. We still celebrate the random things we love about life like Pajama Day, Cake for Breakfast Day and the odd, Be Quiet So Mommy's Head Doesn't Explode.

I like holidays because I like celebrating, and though it would be nice if I took the time to celebrate in some meaningful way throughout the year and without commercial prompting, I don't as often as I'd like. And speaking as someone who's had a partner most of her adult life but spent most holidays and birthdays alone because of said partners' work schedules, it's nice to be reminded to celebrate on those few holidays we both manage to spend together. I have never really celebrated Valentine's Day because my birthday is so close that it always seems like an awful lot to expect from someone, but I'm certain I would under other circumstances. Sure, it's commercialized, but that doesn't mean it can't also be fun! (Don't mind me, I'll just be the schmoopy optimist about it.)

Anyway, it was moot for me anyway. First year we've both been around on Valentines, and I've spent 48 hours sick as a dog, asleep in bed when I wasn't getting sick or in urgent care. Right now is the first time I've felt tentatively normal(ish) since the 12th, and I'm still on anti-nausea meds. Ah, the romance.

What a lovely story Scrappy. Kudos to your 'rents!

ST. Pat's was a neutral holiday for me until we moved here. Now we have a friend that has a potato party every year. She cooks the corned beef -- eveyone else bring potato dishes. I think she is up to 10 corned beefs. We usually see people we haven't seen all winter - it is the beginning of spring around her.

DH is into Valentine's day, I am not. Sometimes I do silly things, sometin=mes nothing. DH does some sort of gift.

Thanksgiving is feast day and my favorite. Easter is know as Happy brunch day.

Christmas is my second favorite -- but my basic expectation is that books will be read, movies will be watched , food will be cooked and eaten, family will be spoken with and maybe we will go for a walk. I do not like the shipping of presents that happens before christmas.

Halloween really isn't a big deal, but it is silly fun.

Most other holidays are days off and excuses for paties or other gatherings.

Hec, your Valentine's Day celebration sounds sweet and wonderful. I hope someday to be able to do something similar, when TCG and I have kids.

My mother made a huge deal about every little holiday and big holiday as a kid, which is probably why I enjoy celebrating them so much. Except for Christmas, which I try t enjoy, but it tends to freak me out and exhaust me. I also don't love a holiday where I have to be out and about amongst drunk people, but I love NYE when I'm home and people come to me.

Why don't people like Halloween? It's my favorite holiday.

My mother made a huge deal about every little holiday and big holiday as a kid, which is probably why I enjoy celebrating them so much.

Same here which is why I tried to make them fun for the kids. Dad's birthday being Valentine's day made it extra special. My anniversary is St. Paty's Day, and the fun stuff is all in walking distance here so it is all good.

Yeah, my mom made holidays a lot of fun, too. She still does.

I'm sorry if my mentioning our Vaentine's Day upset anyone.

FWIW, I'm not upset in the slightest. My views on Valentine's Day, weddings, and diamond engagement rings (not the blood diamond thing, just how lame it is that they are the standard for engagement) are fairly outlier and I understand that.

We cleaned off the front porch. Together, but you know, not the stuff that Hallmark puts on cards.

I'm not Valentine-y, either, because I dislike social and capitalist pressure to be romantic on a specific day. Though I did get the awesome decoder ring card for The Boy, but that was a fluke, since I only found it linked through a Kiki Strike blog I read. Hand to god.

We did end up going out for a bit last night, only because a bakery in our neighborhood moved to a new location and had an open house, and we firmly believe that it's a sin to turn down free pastry.

Oh my god. SO GOOD. I walked in the door and got handed a cream puff. There were cookies (heart-shaped), brownies, chocolate mousse things in chocolate cups, and something else I'm forgetting, as well as the best spinach quiche I've ever had. I ate more quiche than pastry.

And that was our exciting Valentine's Day. Cleaning and free pastry.

Love Halloween, Sean. Great fun for decorating. We had a friend one year that owned a hearse and he parked it in the yard for us. I can totally see why someone in Salem would hate it. In fact, a friend of mine in Rhode Island was all excited this past year because she went to Salem around that time and I cringed a bit thinking of the poor residents.