Hearts Day 2026

Doing something romantic for Valentine's Day doesn't need to be expensive and doesn't require an expensive night out, heart shaped balloons or candy or flowers.

Romance isn't for a single day and doesn't come with a cost. It can take simple gestures on a daily basis like holding hands, opening doors, coffee in bed (my daily treat) or helping one another in small ways. Showing love is not about dollar value purchase, as romance really is priceless (sorry for the bad pun).

These displays of flowers, balloons & candies were in a local supermarket yesterday

Yet, this year spending for this one-day is expected to be billions of dollars in the U.S. alone. That estimate comes from The National Retail Federation which projected that Americans will spend over $29.1 billion on this single day. This figure will top the 2025 record of $27.5 billion. Individual gift spending is expected to be about $200 beating a 2020 previous high of $196.

The above photos weren't taken at a florist shop, bakery or gift store, but in Shaw's a local supermarket in Nashua, NH, yesterday afternoon. The previous day, we shopped in another local supermarket, Hannaford, and saw a similar scene in the floral department.

As for ourselves, we never, ever go out on Valentine's Day/ We're dining at home on filet mignon, baked potato, asparagus, preceded by shrimp cocktail. Candy treats will be leftovers from the holidays. Flowers will be on the dining room table next week, not for a holiday, but because we enjoy them. Cards will be plentiful, as always, will place of pride on the living room bookcases replacing recent birthday cards.

This week at the Hudson Senior Center (NH) Maxine was greeting everyone in her most colorful attire. If you notice, she's available and looking for a date as well.

Maxine is looking for love on Valentine's Day

Now a look-back at a sweet treat that so many of us can probably remember. 

Display of Sweethearts Cutie Pie candies in a local supermarket priced at 3 for $2

Sweethearts The Original Cutie Pie Conversation Hearts are small, heart-shaped candies produced by Spangler Candy. The cherry-strawberry heart-shaped candies feature messages like Cutie Pie, Be Mine, Marry Me and Kiss Me popular for Valentine’s Day. 

But, did you know that this one started here in New England ?

Sweetheart candies began in 1847 when Boston, MA pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine for medicinal lozenges which in turn lead to Necco (New England Confectionery Company) wafers, the first mass-produced American candy. In 1866, his brother, Daniel, designed a machine to print sayings on them using red vegetable dye. Candies were made in various shapes and were also larger with more words. The iconic heart shapes with brief messages started in 1901 and became a Valentine's Day tradition with short sweet wording due to limited space on the candy. Over the years, messages have been updated to include modern slang like Fax Me, Call Me, Text Me and Me & You. 

Necco went out of business in 2018 and family-owned Spangler Candy Company acquired the brand. The company didn't have enough time to produce them for Valentine's Day in 2019, but returned the classic candy to stores by 2020. Candies are made at the company's main facility in Bryan, OH and sold in 0.9 oz boxes often in multi-packs. Other popular Spangler brands include: Dum-Dums, Bit-O-Honey, Necco Wafers, Spangler Candy Canes, Spangler Circus Peanuts and Canada Mints.

And, now you know, the rest of the story.

We wish everyone a sweet and Happy ❤️ celebration and hope that yours is as special as ours will be, but not-as-costly as some others.

Nothing Says Loving . . .

Not like something from the oven, but like cards, cute(?) stuffed toys, and candy if you believe merchandisers who think this is what people want for their loved one(s) — and maybe some do. Personally speaking, none of this is for Grenville and myself who agree that love should be celebrated every day. 

This post is a couple of weeks late. The photos were taken a couple of weeks ago Most local stores began marketing Valentine's Day paraphernalia several days before New Year's Day was observed. 

A nearby major card retailer had this large display ready on December 27. Here's a name hint from the store's popular tagline: "When you care enough to send the very best." (Did you guess the store name?)

Not to be outdone, several other retail stores also had V-Day cards for sale filling racks once filled with Christmas cards within a few days after that holiday.

A local pharmacy retail store relocated its marked-down Christmas items to showcase these new gift ideas. Teddy bears and ostriches flamingoes (thanks Sandra) seemed an odd combination. The bears are a long-time favorite but who thought of flamingoes?

There were other choices too. Perhaps the love of your life would prefer Charlie Brown or Snoopy as a symbol of your love? And Minnie and Mickey Mouse were also available. These these toys looked charming, but what's the market?

And, if bears and cartoon characters don't do it, there's always puppy dogs. Admittedly, these were not the cutest toys I'd ever seen and since when are puppies pink?

Of course, what would Valentine's Day be without candy in heart-shaped boxes and there was quite a selection available everywhere.

My personal preference would be peanut butter hearts, which we recently enjoyed in the shape of Christmas trees. Soon, these will be replaced with peanut butter Easter eggs.

If folks needed colorful packaging for cards, toys, and candies, those were available too.

I don't know about most of you reading this post, but when I was growing up (eons ago) there was none of this hyped-up merchandise. Valentine cards were exchanged in grade school and also small multi-colored candy hearts with fun messages. 

Sweethearts is their "official" name although they’re also called conversation hearts. These treats have a history dating to 1847 and it  started here in New England. 

Oliver Chase, a Boston pharmacist, wanted to get in the apothecary lozenge business. He learned that they had a manufacturing process that required a mortar and pestle, kneading and rolling dough, then cutting it into discs that became lozenges.

Chase invented a machine for the process and then started a candy factory, leaving the pharmacy business to produce what became Necco wafers, named after the his New England Confectionary Company.

In 1866, his brother, Daniel, joined the business and designed a machine to add words on the candies like: “Married in pink, he will take a drink,” “Married in white, you have chosen right” and “Married in satin, love will not be lasting.” The candies were usually featured at weddings.

The candies became heart-shaped in 1901 and messages were shortened to: “Kiss Me,” “It’s Love,” “True Love” and “Call Me.” Today, they’re always being updated. In the 1990s, Necco’s VP added: “Email me” and “FAX me.”The company annually receives hundreds of message suggestions. (YouTube videos show the production process and color mixing.)

Why are these candies so popular year-to-year?

Some think it's because it allows people to give loving hearts in friendship or as a love message. Many, like myself, recall getting them in grade school. Even those who don’t eat candy now have commented that the candies return them to childhood.

In terms of dollar sales, Valentine's Day is the third biggest holiday/season for the U.S. candy industry. According market researchers, it lags behind Easter and Halloween, which are also 1-day observances.

Grenville and I are planning a getaway after hearts day to celebrate it and my earlier Feb birthday.

How will you be celebrating this year? 

Happy Hearts Day 2017

Today is Valentine's Day and we hope that wherever and however you spend the day, that's it's a lovely one (pun intended. 

As I was unsure as to whether or not it was strictly a U.S. celebrated day, I checked online and learned that Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia. And that it was celebrated in Sweden under the name of "Alla hjärtans dag" but don't know the English translation. Additionally China, Japan Korea Formosa, Turkey and the Philippines observe a similar day to express love. 

"Beatrice" and "Grenville" are represented in the figures in this post and are displayed in our apt. These are also the aliases we used when we first created this blog. Now, we use them interchangeably with our actual names, Dorothy and Patrick.

Beatrice and Grenville are part of Boyds Bears. While I searched online  to learn why these names (and others) are selected, there was no information available. Maybe they are chosen from family or friends surnames or perhaps, more likely, selected at random.

Years ago we bought the Beatrice and Grenville "True Love" shown above. It was our first joint purchase and we had displayed it on our wedding table. Afterward, we came across the other two: "Best Friends Weather Any Storm" and "Best Friends." 

All three pieces were purchased in our native NJ and have "lived" with us in NJ, VA and now NH. They just seem to fit how we regard our love and relationship. each piece has a quote on the bottom.

True Love:  “The great secret of successful marriage is to treat all disasters as incidents and none of the incidents as disasters.” – Harold Nicholson

Best Friends: "There is only one happiness in live, to love and be loved." George Sand

Best Friends Weather Any Storm: "Love comforteth like sunshine after rain." Shakespeare

In case you didn't know (and why would you?) Boyds Bears is named after the Maryland town where the business was started. Company founders Gary M. Lowenthal and his wife, Justina Unger, left merchandising positions in NYC to relocate to Boyds, Maryland in 1979. They opened an antique store out of their partially restored Victorian home, but found the business to be costly and unprofitable and switched to resin figurines and later stuffed toy bears. The first bear was named "Matthew" after their newborn son, later a "Bailey" bear was named for their daughter. The stuffed toy bears, rabbits, moose and others as well as resin figurines (Boyds Bearstones, Folkstones, Wee Folkstones, Nature's Woodland Fairies, Dollstones) were widely popular for years and are still collected by many. However, the collectibles market is not the way to make one's fortune (think Beanie Babies).  Enesco acquired the company in 2008 and in 2014 discontinued the Boyds Bears product line stating in an email to retailers that . . . "a decision has been made to place Boyds into hibernation."

We will continue to enjoy our small B & G collection which also includes this card.

Perfect for Today & Always

Hearts Day

Today is Valentine's Day, a day set aside for expressing Love for the special someone(s) in your life — spouse, lover, family, friends. It's a sentiment that we try to celebrate daily. 

Here are some things that work for us — all are inexpensive, and while not appropriate for everyone, they can be for your Special Someone. This modified list is a repeat of a past Hearts Day post, our preferred V-Day term, and gives a few very easy ways to tell someone that you care. 

• Do nice things for no "special" reason
• Start and end each day 3 words: I Love You (works with any family member) 
• Never go to bed angry; I'm sorry goes a long way when you're upset with anyone
• Light candles whenever possible (we do most evenings; always at dinner)
• Sit and talk (works for anyone).

While we don't exchange gifts, there's always a LOT of cards to open. These are some from earlier this morning. Yes,there are more cards openings to come as the envelopes always have handwritten instructions on opening times: early morning, afternoon, evening. Spoiler Alert: we opened these while sipping coffee in bed, which is a morning "tradition."

We're not alone with this tradition. This day is the second most popular card sending holiday (Christmas is first) and more than 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually. It's not only celebrated in the U.S. but also in Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. A history of Valentine's Day origins and traditions can be found on the History channel website.

Happy Hearts Day — Please share what you are doing. We would love to know.

Beatrice & Grenville

(Also, thanks for comments on the S(n)o (w) Tired post. We are bracing for another major storm blizzard this weekend, but are safely indoors and so are our cars.)

Amateurs Day (to Us)

Every Day Should be Hearts Day . . .

Grenville and I celebrate every day with simple (and very easy) acts of love.

What We Do . . .

• Start and end each day saying I Love You 
• Don't go to bed angry; I'm sorry goes a long way when upset
• Light candles in the bedroom (except in warmer months)
• Grenville brings morning coffee and we enjoy it while sitting in bed
• Dine by candlelight every night (summer excepted).

And, we don't give one another candy, flowers, or gifts but LOTS of cards, just as for every celebration/holiday, and sometimes, just because.

That's WHY to us Valentine's Day is for amateurs — we consider ourselves "Pros."

Happy Hearts Day to ALL 

xxxooo

Dorothy (Beatrice) & Pat (Grenville)

Special Day

Happy Anniversary to Us

Grenville & Beatrice 
A wedding photo With love to my best friend, love and partner, Grenville.

Just in case you were wondering which number we’re celebrating today (August 21) – it’s lucky 11 – at least for the two of us.

As a special celebration, Grenville is taking me on a sea cruise, details in a future post.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love.

1 Corinthians 13

Love and Friends Go Together

First, let me preface this post by adding part of a message that was sent today by a good friend. Even though it has doubtless been circulated through forwarded emails, it bears repeating, especially on the eve of Valentine's (Hearts) Day.

Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back. Sometimes, we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we've let them fly away. Sometimes, we are so caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forget what's right and wrong. Sometimes, we just don't realize what real friendship means until it is too late.

Since this holiday falls on a weekend when most people are at home (and even it if didn't) consider calling or emailing a friend(s). And, if you are really traditional like myself, you could mail a card or note) just to let someone know how special he or she is to you. Spread it around. It's a little thing, but might make a big difference to someone to know that you value their friendship and are thinking of them. After all, anyone can use a little more Love - not only on Valentine's Day but all through the year.

Grenville is my best friend and partner and I'm going to make sure to tell him (again and again) not only on Hearts Day, but every day.