С Днем Святого Валентина!

.....or.......Happy Valentine's Day!


I've always been a fan of the over-the-top holiday festivity in the States.....maybe one of the few who gets excited to see Christmas items roll out in August & Halloween decor in July....


Given that 'extra spirited' frame of reference & an admittedly more minor holiday, I wasn't sure what to expect for Valentine's Day in Kyiv..  


You did have to look pretty hard to realize it was a holiday.......but.....PHEW!  Decorations in my favorite grocery store......

..and seasonal candy items.....ok, Cream Cherry candies look totally disgusting to me - but it's spirit!  

....even a candy cupid!

...And nothing says true love like a pack of Strawberries!  Actually, given the weak international supply chain here (importing thing seems to be a problem), fresh berries really do require serious love.  ~$8 for this pack of 10 strawberries.  

Come summer, strawberries will be abundant & cheap.  In the mean time, we are enjoying apples, bananas & frozen berries.


So while my favorite grocery store clearly had Valentine's spirit, they are also either holding on to the past OR do not believe in end of season clearances.  The check out lane was still sporting some of these.....Milka Santas

And while Valentine's is not even represented in many stores, Christmas candy is still fairly common.  I keep waiting for it to go in some sort of Clearance pile......but they don't appear to believe in that.  Maybe they figure eventually it will become part of the 'get it out early' merchandise




Given Ukrainians' bias toward flash, I was a bit surprised at the understated nature of it all.  That said, I did see one guy who clearly had the kind of spirit we are used to....   

So like many things, there are small signs of the market evolving.  But, net, net, I'd characterize Valentine's day as an 'opportunity space' - and not just because I want those bags of red & pink M&Ms!


So here's to love, seasonal candy & kissing the imported berries for us next time you are at Costco.