Roses are red

Violets are blue

If you despise V-Day

We’ve got the perfect post for you…

As exciting as holidays can be, it’s always wise to avoid putting too much pressure on any particular days. Just because the calendar says it’s February 14th doesn’t mean you need to be madly in love or plan the world’s most extravagant date. Unfortunately, Cupid can’t stop bad luck from striking any day of the year, so we’re just as prone to experiencing fails on Valentine’s Day as we are year round.

Below, we’ve gathered photos of some of the most tragic (and frankly, some hilarious) V-Day fails to remind you that this day doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it’s completely out of our control whether or not the day will go well, so sometimes, we just have to admit defeat! From being dumped on February 14th to receiving a box full of moldy chocolates, there are countless ways this “day of love” can quickly go awry, so be sure to upvote the pics that make you want to skip the occasion altogether. 

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, or actively avoid celebrating, we hope you pandas all have a wonderful day! And don’t forget, all of that chocolate will go on sale February 15th, so if your sweetheart doesn’t get you what you wanted, there’s no shame in picking it out yourself. And if you’re interested in viewing even more painfully tragic V-Day fails, you can find Bored Panda’s last article on the same topic right here!

#1 She Left Me For Another Woman On Valentine's Day

Image credits: JAdamsidk123

#2 The Ice Cream Cake I Ordered For Valentine’s Day Said “I Love You” But Some Of The Letters Fell Off During Transit

Image credits: mrbootsy

#3 You Know It's Valentine's Day When All The Ladies' Razors Are Sold Out

Image credits: InternetsSpokesman

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Personally, I love the holiday because I’ll take any excuse to eat chocolate-covered strawberries, buy myself flowers and shower my partner and friends with love. But it’s definitely a day that can come along with unnecessary pressure and expectations. If you’ve just started seeing someone romantically, it can be hard to know what an appropriate way of celebrating with them will be. If you’re interested in someone, should you take the opportunity to send them a valentine and lay your feelings all out on the table? Valentine’s Day can be a high-risk, high-reward situation, and unfortunately, sometimes, the risk leads to some tragic failures.

From being rejected to receiving rotten flowers or chocolates in the mail, Valentine’s Day just doesn’t always pan out. So it’s best to keep our expectations low. If you plan on having the most incredible evening of your life, the subsequent food poisoning or car accident that may follow will hurt twice as bad as it would have on a normal day. And while this holiday of love was not actually created by greeting card companies, as some cynics like to claim, the original spirit of the day did not include going out to extravagant restaurants and sending your partner a teddy bear the size of yourself, so don’t feel like you need to do those things either.  

#4 My Pup Decided To Help Me Get Extra Sexy For My Wife For Valentine's Day

Image credits: raven2474life

#5 My Nephew Drawing Valentine's "Hearts" On The Patio

Image credits: rambo2189

#6 So, I Got My Wife A Balloon For Valentine's Day

Image credits: DriftingInTheDarknes

Any day bursting with high expectations is an opportunity for massive disappointment, so to learn how to manage those expectations, we consulted this article written by Dr. Lisa Firestone for PsychAlive. Dr. Firestone’s first tip for avoiding being let down on V-Day is to be careful not to pile on the pressure. She explains that your partner may not have the same “sentimental feelings” about this holiday that you do, so don’t allow your mind to warp their lack of enthusiasm about Valentine’s Day into thinking that they are less invested in the relationship.

“At the end of the day, Valentine’s Day in particular, what matters most is the way your partner treats you and how you treat them the other 364 days of the year,” Dr. Firestone writes. “If he or she is affectionate, acknowledging and loving in the most ordinary, un-spotlighted moments, then you probably don’t have a lot to worry about. Keep this in mind when you plan your Valentine’s Day. Any period of time you have with someone you value can be an excuse for romance and affection. It can be filled with large and small acts of kindness, passion and love. The pressure shouldn’t fall on this one occasion to be perfect or to, in some way, represent your entire relationship.”

#7 Not So Happy Valentine's Day

Image credits: darcycarden

#8 For Valentine's Day, My Wife Gave Me A Bath Bomb Called Luna. Pretty Sure They Should Have Called It Water Birth

Image credits: iamtherealandy

#9 Girlfriend Called Dominos To Send Me A Surprise Heart-Shape Valentine's Day Pizza While I'm On A Business Trip

Image credits: chopped_broccoli

On the other hand, Dr. Firestone notes that individuals who are single should avoid placing too much pressure on V-Day as well. Avoid any negative self-talk because there is absolutely nothing wrong with being single; in fact, it might even be the healthiest choice for you at the moment. “Be kind to yourself and wary of any critical inner voices that start to tear you apart or toughen you up against love,” Dr. Firestone writes. “There is great value in learning and practicing self-compassion. This allows you to dig past the self-shaming statements and uncover your real point of view. Maybe you want to find love. Maybe you’re enjoying being single and just looking. In either case, no one day of the year defines your worthiness as a person or your status in relation to love.” 

#10 My Cat Took My Brother's Valentine's Day Sucker

Image credits: ThisIsMe007

#11 Went To Panda Express With My Girlfriend For Valentine's Day

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#12 Valentine's Day Peti From My Daughter. Bloody Massacre

Image credits: CmdrClit

It also might be helpful to focus on giving rather than getting this Valentine’s Day, to reduce the chance that your little heart will be broken. As easy as it may be to forget, it really does feel nice to give our loved ones presents or tell them how much we cherish and appreciate them. Write your partner a heartfelt card, paint something for them, create a photo album with pictures of the two of you, bake their favorite dessert, or book a couple’s massage for the two of you. Regardless of what they do for you, you can look forward to the joy that will appear on their face when they’re reminded of how much you care.

“When we focus too much on what we are receiving, we often are listening to destructive thoughts,” Dr. Firestone notes. “Giving into these thoughts feeds a feeling of righteous indignation at your partner’s perceived lack of generosity and, even more importantly, leaves you feeling miserable. Avoid the likely behaviors generated by these thoughts and feelings, such as lashing out at your loved one or sulking, which will hurt your relationship. Maintaining an outward focus will lead to more happiness for you and your partner.”   

#13 What I Found The Day After Valentine's Day

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#14 Went To The Grand Canyon For Valentine's Day. It Was Awesome

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#15 Coworkers Made Each Other Paper Hearts For Valentine's Day And I’m Literally The Only One In My 12-Person Office That Didn’t Have One Made For Them

Some people even have multiple… Awkward.

Image credits: bradygoeskel

While you might feel like you’re the only one in the world who’s ever had a disappointing Valentine’s Day, I hope this list is showing you that that’s certainly not the case. In fact, bad V-Days might be much more common than you realize. One survey from YouGov found that 45% of Americans believe that if you’re considering breaking up with someone as Valentine’s Day is approaching, the best thing to do is just rip off the band-aid before the day comes. However, some people wait until the day of, as 7% of Americans say they’ve been dumped on February 14th, while 6% say they’ve been broken up with shortly before and another 6% say they’ve been dumped shortly after. I’m not sure when the worst time is to break up with someone, but if I got dumped before or on Valentine’s day, I would definitely be taking advantage of all of that discounted chocolate on February 15th…    

#16 Our Valentine’s Day In China: Corona Beer, Coronation Chicken, Pandemic Board Game, Contagion Movie

Image credits: la_pluie

#17 Beautiful Flowers I Got My Wife From Pro Flowers For Valentine's Day

Image credits: mattjeast

#18 A Failed Confession On Valentine's Day

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If you’re curious why so many relationships reach their expiration dates around the day of love, you’re in luck. Wendy L. Patrick, J.D., Ph.D. wrote an article for Psychology Today exploring this topic, so we’ll try to give you some answers. According to William J. Chopik et al. (2014), Valentine’s Day is notorious for causing individuals who have an avoidant attachment style to realize they might not be as satisfied in their relationships as they had previously thought. 

“Chopik et al. explain that individuals who are high in avoidance report a lower amount of satisfaction and investment as compared to individuals low in attachment avoidance—a result that was particularly relevant when the significance of their relationships was emphasized on Valentine’s Day,” Dr. Patrick writes. Perhaps all the pressure surrounding this holiday is just too much for them to take. 

#19 For Our Valentine's Tea, My Little Girls Wanted Chicken Nuggets. I Made These From Scratch. They Were Supposed To Be Love Hearts

Image credits: muckerz

#20 Just Got My Valentine’s Day Gift. Thank You Shari’s Berries And UPS

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#21 My Partner And I Both Got Food Poisoning On Valentine's Day. I Had Bad Sushi, And My Girlfriend Accidentally Had Gluten. We're Taking Turns In The Hotel's Bathroom

Image credits: Cosmic_Cat64

Dr. Patrick also writes that, “Past researchers found that partners in romantic relationships already in a weakened state were almost five times more likely to break up within the two weeks surrounding Valentine’s Day than they were during any other weeks of the year.” Maybe all of this pressure to have the perfect celebration is doing more harm than good. If you’re happy in your relationship, don’t allow a greeting card company or social media influencers who have the “perfect relationship” get in your head. 

#22 I Made This Cake For Valentine's Day, And My Boyfriend Hasn't Showed Up. If He Keeps Saying He'll Come The Next Day And Then Cancel, I'm Gonna Have To Throw It Away

Image credits: reddit.com

#23 Well, That Was A Quick Valentine's Day

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#24 Happy Valentine’s Day. When Your Sweet Husband Thinks He Should Hide Flowers Overnight In The Car. Guess Whose Roses Froze And Are Sitting In An Ice Block

Thankful for my silly man.

Image credits: anselgrey

Apparently it’s so common to break up before Valentine’s Day that the Tuesday before the big event has been deemed “Red Tuesday”, as it brings in more break-ups than any other day of the year. And according to a survey by Illicit Encounters, many people decide to break up with their partners before February 14th to avoid spending money on gifts or to avoid being pressured into a false declaration of love.

“The period between Christmas and February is a popular time for people to spring clean their love lives as well as their homes,” Christian Grant, a spokesperson for Illicit Encounters told The Sun. “This period of reflection reaches its peak in the week before Valentine’s … For lots of people, it is easier to call time on a relationship rather than pretend everything is fine and tell lots of white lies."

#25 Parcel Thief Has Ruined My Valentine’s Day

Image credits: phoenixgrrrrl

#26 The Valet Driver For The Hotel I Stayed At With My Girlfriend For Valentine’s Day Decided To Take My Car For A Joy Ride

After tipping him he specifically said, “don’t worry, I got your baby”. Then he proceed to run my car up a curb later that day.

Image credits: MikeMartinho

#27 Happy Valentine's Day Pizza Pack

Image credits: AmeWatson

If you’re not feeling particularly thrilled about Valentine’s Day this year, remember that all of these people have been  through a rough V-Day before too. If you’re having a hard time feeling the love, feel free to enjoy the day with some of your closest friends or family members. And if they have other plans, there is nothing wrong with ordering takeout and sitting at home binging your favorite show on Netflix or playing video games. 

Do something that brings you joy, whether that means buying yourself flowers and chocolates or sending all of your best friends adorable cards to remind them how much they mean to you. Keep upvoting the pics you find most tragic (but that you can’t help but laugh at as well…), and then let us know in the comments if you’ve ever experienced an awful Valentine’s Day fail. Then, if you’re interested in checking out Bored Panda’s last article on the same topic, you can find more hilariously heartbreaking pics right here! 

#28 So 1800 Flowers Forgot To Include Flowers In My Order. Now They Refuse To Refund Me My Money

Image credits: mikesplain

#29 My Valentine's-Themed School Lunch

Image credits: DDude269

#30 Where Are You Tammy?

Image credits: lantasongs

#31 My Friend, One Of The Nicest People I Know, Waited On A Couple On Valentine's. They Left Him This

Image credits: hiphoptomato

#32 The Canvas For My Partner's Valentine's Day Gift Arrived Today

Image credits: Nyght_42

#33 Happy Valentine's Day Weekend From The Restaurant Industry

Image credits: Sleep_Debt

#34 My Kid Got This In A Valentine's Day Goodie Bag At School. It's A Crayon

Image credits: Spookyredd

#35 Girlfriend Bought A Valentine's Day Gift Box For Me And Was Not Too Happy

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#36 Copying A Supermarket Best Seller To Impress Your Husband On Valentine's Day

Image credits: ViddyFanUK

#37 My Cat Waking Me Up In The Middle Of The Night For Me To Discover He Ate The Rose Buds Off My Valentine's Plant I Got Myself

Image credits: SleepyKittyGirl

#38 Casually Cooking Valentine's Day Dinner

Image credits: satan_bong

#39 My Friend Owns A Florist Shop, And She Posted Her And Her Employees' Hands From The Week Of Valentine's Day

Image credits: plumeria80

#40 Hired A House Cleaner To Surprise The Wife For Valentine’s Day. Cleaner “Cleaned” My Cast Iron

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#41 Bought My Wife This Valentine's Day Basket From A Local Homeschooled Kid, Completely Forgetting That She Started The Keto Diet The Day Before

Image credits: BillMillerBBQ

#42 This Is What I Walked Into On Valentine's Day

Yes, robbed. I left for dinner and came back to this. Everything was taken out and thrown on the floor. I also carried stuff from my small family business, so the estimated loss was over $6000+. I also can't find my used underwear and some of my clothes.

Image credits: bambitious

#43 Getting Plowed On Valentine's Day

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#44 Got A Hotel For SO, With A Valentine's Special Package, And They Had The TV Frozen On Biden Staring At You

Image credits: reddit.com

#45 The Valentine's Day Strawberries I Bought For My Wife. They Had Leaked Berry Juice Everywhere And Destroyed The Box They Came In Due To Improper Packaging

Smelled like rotting fruit…

Image credits: Vandalbot

#46 Valentine's Day Flowers. Reality vs. Product Photo

Image credits: reddit.com

#47 Valentine's Day Surprise

The main drain taking water and waste out of our house clogged and came up through the floor drain in our laundry room. All flooring, some cabinets and parts of walls must go. 

Image credits: klynlamp7

#48 Bought A Single $4 Rose To Brighten Up My Desk For Valentine's Day, And Tried To Remove The Inexplicable Tag

Image credits: cptaixel

#49 Spending Valentine's Day In The Hospital

I have a bone condition in which my bones are weak. I'll need an IV to pump medicine for a day so nothing too major. It just sucks that it's on Valentine's day.

Image credits: Yare_yare_daze1938

#50 Broke My Leg On The First Day Of Work After Cny, My House Is On Top Of A 200 Steps Hill. Planned To Celebrate Valentine's Day With My Girlfriend Tomorrow

Image credits: lemuel925

#51 Valentine's Day Breakfast Was Ruined By Accidentally Leaving The Jug On A Hot Hob. It Melted The Bottom And Exploded

Image credits: Fromaz277

#52 Well, Someone’s Having A Bad Valentine's Day

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#53 All The Valentine's Day Cakes Expire Before Valentine's Day

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#54 I'm Working Late Tomorrow And Thursday So Putting In Some Early Work For Valentine's Day. Top-Notch Effort On The Heart-Shaped Balloons ASDA

Image credits: IllGiveYouTheKey

#55 It's The Thought That Counts, Right?

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#56 Someone Hit And Run With My Parked Car Tonight. Happy Valentine’s Day

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#57 When You're In The Middle Of The Valentine's Dinner Rush

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#58 Happy Valentine's Day

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#59 Ruined Valentine's Dinner, Already Added It To The Dish

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#60 My Boyfriend Ordered Me Flowers For Valentine’s Day

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#61 "Heart-Shaped" Valentine's Day Pizza

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#62 There Was An Attempt To Make A Romantic Valentine's Dinner

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#63 Happy Valentine’s Day

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#64 So Much For My Valentine's Dinner Leftovers

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#65 Our "Heart-Shaped" Pizza From The Pizza Hotline (I Don't Know What I Expected)

Image credits: BluePenguin0

#66 Father Ghosts Girlfriend Of 7 Years And His 2-Year-Old Son One Day Before Valentine’s Day

Image credits: Funy290

#67 I Baked Some Valentine's Day Muffins For My Husband Today

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#68 This Would’ve Been $10 Before Valentine's Day

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#69 Valentine’s Day Value

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#70 Well, I Tried To Be Romantic For Valentine's Day

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#71 Well, Somebody Irritated Their Valentine

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#72 While Snuffing Out The Last Candle I Bumped It And Splattered Hot Wax Everywhere. Happy Valentine's Day, Honey

Image credits: DukeSkymocker

#73 My Dad Bought Roses For My Mom For Valentine’s Day And When He Got Home And Took Off The Wrapper All The Leaves And Petals Just Fell Off. Luckily, He Got His Money Back

Image credits: ObiWan1123

#74 These Valentine’s Day Chocolates

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#75 What My Dog Did To My Mum's Valentine's Gift

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#76 Valentine’s Day Was Fun

Sliced my finger open while cutting bread for dinner. One hour later at the VA ER and three stitches later I am all good. Ended the night with the fiancé at Wendy’s, cause ya know you gotta make them feel special.

Image credits: Fasrielyn

#77 My School Trying To Push Me To Do Things While I Sit Alone At The Lunch Table On Valentine's Day

Image credits: ServantGoon

#78 Notice The Little Burnt Piece Of Bacon. My Valentine Is Sweet Enough To Tell Me It's Great. It's The Thought That Counts Anyways

Image credits: Courttt917

#79 I Started My First Valentine's Day Single In 7 Years With 53 Stitches On The Sole Of My Foot

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#80 Posted 2 Days Before Valentine's Day On The Local Marketplace

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#81 My Roommate’s Family Sent Her A Valentine’s Day Gift From Across The Country

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#82 I Bought A “Heart-Shaped Cake” For Valentine’s Day And When We Went To Cut Into It We Found 3 Cupcakes With The Wrappers Still On Smothered In Icing

Image credits: CapedCrustacean

#83 My Girlfriend's Beautiful $67 Valentine's Bouquet From FTD

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#84 Happy Valentine's Day. My Girlfriend Still Loved Them. She's A Keeper

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#85 My Mom Wrote On My Dad's Red Valentine's Card Envelope With A Red Pen

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#86 To Make Heart-Shaped Cookies

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#87 Tried To Make A Cake For Valentine’s Day With The Kissy Emoji Face. It Melted And Ended Up Looking Like It Was Crying And Spitting

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#88 Part Of The Flowers I Ordered Online. Happy Valentine's Day

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#89 Husband Tried To Order Flowers For Valentine’s Day Via Instacart. This Is What We Got

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#90 Hit A Pothole Pulling Into A Parking Spot For My Valentine's Date. Curb Ripped My Bumper Right Off

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#91 Wife Combined Valentine's And Easter Candy (M&M's, Choc Eggs, Skittles, Jelly Beans, Gummies, Hearts)

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#92 Happy Valentine's Day. I'm Single, And I Have Food Poisoning

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#93 For Valentine's Day This Year, My House Got Laid By A Tree

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#94 Valentine’s Day Didn’t Work Out For Someone

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#95 Happy Valentine’s Day. My Bulletin Board Fell Over And Broke My Glasses Which I’m Blind Without In The Middle Of The Night

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#96 Happy Valentine's Day

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#97 Valentine's Day Mix-Up

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#98 Valentine's Sweetest Love

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#99 Someone's Valentine's Didn't Go Well

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#100 My Neighbor Masoud Is Having A Cracking Valentine's Day

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#101 To Do A Cute Activity For Valentine’s Day

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#102 Ordered The Heart-Shaped Pizza For Valentine's Day

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#103 Valentine's Flowers From Bouqs

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#104 Expectation: Cute Red Handprint Valentine From The Baby. Reality: Accidental Horror Valentine I Probably Won't Be Sent To The Grandparents

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#105 Empty Candy Bag On Valentine's Day

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#106 So We Bought This Cake For Valentine’s Day. My Dad Had To Be A Jerk And Cut It Like This... Let’s Just Say People Were Pretty Mad

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#107 Valentine's Day Pizza Heart. I Ended Up Eating It Alone

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#108 My Wife Had To Return The Flowers I Had Delivered For Her For Valentine's Day

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#109 That Is Not A Heart And That Is Not A Pepperoni Pizza

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#110 One Of The Valentine's Candies I Bought My Wife. She Just Opened That One Today

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#111 Spent $70 For Valentine's Flowers For My Wife, Received A Far Inferior Product Than The Advertisement

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#112 Wife's Wheelchair Broke At 5 Pm The Friday Before Valentine's Day

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#113 The Water Is Being Shut Off All Night In My Building. On Valentine's Day

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#114 Wanted To Get Into The Valentine's Day Spirit

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#115 How My Valentine's Gift Came Out. Tried Using A Spoon It Was Glued To The Side, Couldn't Get It Off In One Piece

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#116 Knew I Wasn’t Getting Any Chocolate For Valentine's Day So I Bought Myself A Candy Bar On My Way Out Of The Grocery Store Today. Someone Had Squished The Whole Thing

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#117 Papa John's Valentine's Day Special "Heart"-Shaped Pizza

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#118 When Valentine’s Day Comes Around

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#119 So Some Valentine's Cupcakes Got Spilt On Me

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#120 The Bottom Light Bulb Went Out. On Valentine’s Day

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