New avenues of exploitation

Happy late Valentine's Day, sweethearts! I hope you all had a great day filled with love, friendship, family and, more importantly, chocolate. \nBut as wonderful as candy hearts (U R Great) and red plush (insert cheesy shape of novelty here) gifts are, Valentine's Day has gotten a little out of control. I enjoy flowers and cards as much as the next person, but enough is enough. Valentine's Day has slowly but surely risen to the top of the media's and the business world's "Seek Out and Commercialize" list, right up there with Christmas and Easter. \nAll that holiday hubbub on the Internet, television, magazines and even here at the IDS made me feel sorry for those poor little holidays that get overlooked. Flag Day, for example. No one ever gears up for Flag Day. There are no cards, no songs, no candy…it's just another random blurb on the calendar. \nSo in honor of our lesser-known, not-yet exploited holidays, here are a few days I feel should be more celebrated. Just as the economy starts to take a little turn for the worse, perhaps boosting retail sales for the following dates could make Alan Greenspan smile:\nArbor Day\nYay trees! They're green, oxygen-producing, good for making houses and paper, and they look pretty in the fall. All these good qualities, and no one has capitalized on Arbor Day! Think of all the tree possibilities: tree-shaped cookies and candy, balloons, cards, e-cards, expensive Tiffany tree jewelry. \nTo prepare for April 27, visit the good people at www.arborday.org. They'll hook you up with tree information and celebration supplies. (Note to IU Student Association candidates: Push for no classes on Arbor Day, and I'll vote for you.)\nCanadian Boxing Day\nWhy is this random day on every calendar? Why ISN'T it?! Canadian Boxing Day, Dec. 26, is a day when some families give boxes of gifts to those who provide services throughout the year. \nThe tradition might have started when the church poor boxes were opened on that day, or maybe from boxes with which apprentices collected money from their masters' clients, according to Canadian Heritage Ministry. \nWe could Americanize this holiday with huge boxes stuffed with goodies which we would give to co-workers and bosses. Nothing says brownie points at work like good ol' CBD.\nFlag Day\nWho likes red? White? Blue? Then this celebration is sure to please. Mark your calendars for June 14, a day destined to go down in IU fame right alongside Little 500 weekend and Spring Break.\nFlag Day. The parties, the mayhem, the frenzied madness. I can't wait to tell my kids about how I tore it up FD 2K(1), and I'm sure your experiences will be history-worthy as well.\nBut these are just a few commercializing suggestions. Remember, exploitation of time-honored tradition boosts the economy and your social life. Mark your calendars and get ready to party in the months ahead!