It's Valentine's Day, so what next?

As if you could miss it. The shops are full of cards, and red ribbons, and roses. You can buy dressing gowns covered in hearts, rude pants, mugs, towels, balloons, rabbits ... Restaurants have special deals. Hotels suggest a night in their honeymoon suite will rekindle ... I have even seen a Valentine's card to a dog, but let's not go there.

I'm sure there will be many happy couples. And I wish you all well. I hope you have a wonderful day, reminding each other just why you are together.

And I'm sure the card-makers, and the fluffy-toy makers, and the restaurants will all have a wonderful day too. Good luck to them - times are hard, and if there's profit in bunnies - well, it's better than being on the dole.

So, in the spirit of fostering our faltering economy, I think we should suggest other occasions which can be used as an excuse for spending money and general celebrating (and filling the coffers of the card-makers etc). Halloween - that's exploited to the full now; as is Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day - is there space for Auntie's Day, Uncle Day? Daughter's Day? (I've 4 daughters who'd sign up for that one.)

We have cards for birthdays, cards for starting school, for leaving school. But surely parents can celebrate: little Johnny's first day at school (you can snivel together at the school gate and settle with celebratory cake), when he leaves for university, when he comes to live at home again ... the day he finally leaves ... We have wedding cards, but nothing to mark a divorce. We cheer when we reach 18, but how about raising a glass to the menopause (all that monthly money you'll save). Retirement - that brings presents. But how about a cake for the day you move back in with Johnny and he has to make your breakfast before racing off the work ...

OK, I'm not entirely serious. But if it's fine to exploit Valentine's Day to the point where people can feel guilty if they can't afford the dinner, the champagne, the rude pants - then almost everything is open to exploitation. Can you think of other life events you might like to raise a glass to?