“Hearts Before the Calendar Turns: My Surprising Supermarket Encounter”

It was New Year’s Eve, and, like most people who think they are “so organized,” I found myself in the supermarket at 4 p.m., wandering the aisles on a last-minute quest for forgotten dinner rolls, sparkling water, and (because it’s NYE) a fancy cheese or two.

The store was bustling—the produce section a swirling sea of cart-wielding shoppers debating over ripe avocados, the dairy aisle an exercise in patience as folks recovered from the egg shortage by grabbing everything left. My cart was full of the essentials, peppered with a few questionable “celebratory impulse buys” (I’m talking to you, obscure sparkling elderflower soda).

But nothing prepared me for what I saw next.

I turned a corner, rolling my cart to the checkout, resigned to the inevitable long lines and magazine racks promising better habits for the New Year. Instead, right there—front and center, in all their heart-shaped, powder pink, foil-wrapped glory—was a mountain of Valentine’s Day candy. Rows and rows of it. Cupid grinning at me at the tail end of December, not even letting the New Year get its due. Red hearts towered over the wrapped-up Santa bars that didn’t sell.

Wait. Did I somehow black out and wake up in February? I pulled my phone to check the date. Nope, still December 31st.

Now, let me be very clear: I’m not against a delicious chocolate truffle, and I certainly never say no to a Reese’s heart. But… Valentine’s Day? Already? That’s a solid six weeks away. The last of the holiday ham was still in my fridge, for goodness’ sake. Should I be picking up a sweet “I love you” for my dinner guests, or a thank-you box for surviving 2025?

I started chuckling to myself, and the cashier noticed my confused smile. “You’re not the first one to ask about that,” she grinned. “They started setting it up yesterday, right after the Christmas chocolates went on sale.” We shared a moment, silently acknowledging the absurdity of moving straight from sleigh bells to sweetheart cards before anyone’s even gotten used to writing the new year on their checks.

I glanced at the other shoppers, and a few were eyeing the display with the same raised eyebrow. One man even whispered to his wife, “Did we miss something? We didn’t even take down the tree yet!”

I get it. Stores have to keep the shelves full, and Valentine’s is the next “big thing” in the retail world. But it made me stop and think: Why the rush? Are we so focused on the next that we forget to enjoy the now? December still had a few precious hours left, and already we were being reminded to make plans for February.

I remember a time, not that long ago, when you’d walk into the store in January to find generic winter decorations and maybe (if you dug deep enough), a few boxes of Valentines tucked away for the extra-prepared folks. Now, it’s as if we can’t wait for life’s milestones to arrive—we’re supposed to be prepared, planning, and, yes, purchasing, months in advance.

I left the store that evening without a single candy heart. But I did have a newfound resolve: to let each season, and each holiday, arrive in its own sweet (or chocolatey) time. To treasure the present moment—even if the present moment features people frantically shopping for both New Years’ confetti and Cupid at the same time.

So, how early do you start shopping for Valentine’s Day—or any holiday? Have you spotted stores already decked out in red hearts while you’re still packing away your Christmas ornaments?

Share your stories below—maybe together, we can gently suggest to Cupids everywhere that there’s no rush. After all, love (and chocolate) is always better when it’s savored right on time.