11 hilarious Valentine’s Day stories you won’t believe are true

“As Valentine’s Day approached, I tried to think of an unusual gift for my husband. When I discovered that his favourite red-plaid pants had a broken zipper, I thought I had the perfect Valentine. I had the pants repaired, and gift-wrapped them. On the package I put a huge red heart on which I printed: My Heart Pants for You. I was the surprised one, however, when I saw the same heart taped to our formerly empty, but now overflowing, wood box. On it he had written: Wood You Be My Valentine?” — Contributed by Mary Lou Pittman.

No time to hunt around to find the ideal Valentine’s Day gift? We’ve got you totally covered. Take a look at the emergency Valentine’s Day gifts you can buy your guy or girl on the way home.

“Driving through Southern California, I stopped at a roadside stand that sold fruit, vegetables and crafts. As I went to pay, I noticed the young woman behind the counter was painting a sign. ‘Why the new sign?’ I asked. ‘My boyfriend didn’t approve of the old one,’ she said. When I glanced at what hung above the counter, I understood. It declared: Local Honey Dates Nuts.” — Contributed by Theodore Bologna

Single on Valentine’s Day? It can be a drama-free blessing instead of an I-don’t-want-to-die-alone-and-have-my-cats-eat-me curse. Take a look at these 8 ways to love being single on Valentine’s Day.

“I met my husband while I was working in a science library. He came in every week to read the latest journals and eventually decided to take out the librarian instead of the books. After a year and a half of dating, he showed up at the library and started rummaging through my desk. I asked what he was looking for, but he didn’t answer. Finally he unearthed one of the rubber stamps I used to identify reference books. ‘Since I couldn’t find the right engagement ring,’ he said, ‘this will have to do,’ and he firmly stamped my hand. Across my knuckles, in capital letters, it read NOT FOR CIRCULATION.” — Contributed by Ruth E. Chodrow

Valentine’s Day goes beyond romantic dinners and fluffy teddy bears. Here’s 10 reasons to celebrate it.

“My boyfriend and I met online and we’d been dating for over a year. I introduced Hans to my uncle, who was fascinated by the fact that we met over the Internet. He asked Hans what kind of line he had used to pick me up. Ever the geek, Hans naively replied, ‘I just used a regular 56K modem.’” — Contributed by Anne McConnell

Want to make a gift for your special someone? Pamper loved ones this Valentine’s Day with a gift of this sweet-smelling moisturising mixture.

“The lingerie store where my aunt works was crowded with shoppers selecting Valentine’s Day gifts for their wives. A young businessman came to the register with a lacy black negligee. My aunt noticed that the next customer, an elderly farmer, was holding a long flannel nightgown and kept glancing at the younger man’s sexier choice. When it was his turn, the farmer placed the nightgown on the counter. ‘Would you have anything in black flannel?’ he asked.” — Contributed by Christine A. Pandolfo

Looking to write your loved one a charming love letter for Valentine’s Day? Get some inspiration from these love letters written by famous couples.

“My husband, a certified public accountant, works 15-hour days for the first few months of the year. In spite of his hectic schedule, he took time out to order me flowers for Valentine’s Day. While pondering what sweet endearment to write on the card, he obviously began thinking of the many hours of work still ahead of him. His note read: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue. If I weren’t thinking of you, I’d probably be through.’” — Contributed by Cindy Wolf

“My friend Mark and I work in a lawnmower parts warehouse. Somehow Mark got the idea that his wife did not want a card on Valentine’s Day, but when he spoke to her on the phone he discovered she was expecting one. Not having time to buy a card on his way home, Mark was in a quandary. Then he looked at the lawnmower trade magazines scattered around the office and got an idea. Using scissors and glue, he created a card with pictures of mowers, next to which he wrote: ‘I lawn for you mower and mower each day.’ Mark’s wife loved it. The card immediately graced their refrigerator door.” — Contributed by Gene Hyde

“About a year had passed since my amicable divorce, and I decided it was time to start dating again. Unsure how to begin, I thought I’d scan the personals column of my local newspaper. I came across three men who seemed like they’d be promising candidates. A couple of days later, I was checking my answering machine and discovered a message from my ex-husband. ‘I was over visiting the kids yesterday,’ he said. ‘While I was there I happened to notice you had circled some ads in the paper. Don’t bother calling the guy in the second column. I can tell you right now it won’t work out. That guy is me.’” — Contributed by Pat Patel

“My high-school English teacher was well known for being a fair, but hard, grader. One day I received a B minus on a theme paper. In hopes of bettering my grade and in the spirit of the Valentine season, I sent her an extravagant heart-shaped box of chocolates with the pre-printed inscription: “BE MINE.” The following day, I received in return a Valentine from the teacher. It read: Thank you, but it’s still BE MINE-US.’” — Contributed by Brad Wilcox

“Every Valentine’s Day our campus newspaper has a section for student messages. Last year my roommate surprised his girlfriend with roses and dinner at a fancy restaurant. When they returned from their date, she leafed through the paper to see if he had written a note to her. Near the bottom of one page she found: ‘Bonnie, what are you looking here for? Aren’t dinner and flowers enough? Love, Scott.’” — Contributed by Richard B. Blackwell