Love it or hate it: Where do you stand on Valentine’s Day?

When you see pink and red candy displays appearing in the stores does your heart fill with love or dread? (AP)

When you see pink and red candy displays appearing in the stores does your heart fill with love or dread?

“People come down really on one of two sides on Valentine’s Day,” said 97.3 KIRO FM Ross and Burbank Show host Luke Burbank in a discussion of the February holiday. “It’s either their reason for living, they start planning it months and months in advance, or they hate Valentine’s Day.”

The all-male Ross and Burbank Show staff acknowledge it seems to be a holiday mainly for the ladies.

“I think one of the reasons why Valentine’s Day tends to be a big deal to women is not the specifics of what they might get from their fellow, but the fact that their fellow actually remembered, took active steps to make sure a fancy dinner was had or that roses were purchased.”

Listen to Love it or hate it: Where do you stand on Valentine’s Day?

Producer Andrew Walsh said he learned the hard way that even though women might say they’re not that into the holiday, they just might be more invested than they think.

“I used to be one of those guys who hated Valentine’s Day to my very core. It just offended me, and I made it very clear to my girlfriend, that’s what I feel about Valentine’s Day. She’s like, ‘Me too. Me too,'” said Walsh. “This was 11 years ago. This was our first Valentine’s Day. She came home crying that night because everyone in the office got flowers except for her. From that moment on, I realized Genevieve does not see Valentine’s Day the same way I do.”

Walsh said he adjusted his behavior and came to a helpful realization. “I like my girlfriend more than I hate Valentine’s Day.”

“I think when we add up all the pros and cons of Valentine’s Day. The cons being that it is sort of forced on us. The pros being it does cause a lot of us to take a moment out of our year to say to the special person in our life, I love you,” said Burbank, “I think we net out at an actual slight benefit for our society.”

When put to a vote, the Ross and Burbank staff approved the continued observance of Valentine’s Day, but by a slim margin.

“I just think it’s amazing that this is the state that just legalized gay marriage, and on Ross and Burbank, we just barely approved Valentine’s Day,” said Ross.

Where do you stand?

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor