Valentine's Day and Socialization

Of all the holidays, Valentine's Day is a peculiar. In particular, for some reason, many schools like the ideas of children, often pre-teens or younger, engaging in Valentine's Day. And exactly, why do they do this?

In a sense, they are encouraging kids to, what, go out dating? Or fill out cards for people to be each other's valentines? There's something implicit in this that suggests guys and girls should be going out, even if, at a certain age (10 and under). Or do the teachers find it amusing that kids, who still feel the opposite gender has cooties (imaginary germs) will be placed in an awkward spot.

You oould argue, much like other holidays, the goal is to get people to spend money, whether that be on chocolates or candies or flowers. Stores love to find reasons to decorate up, whether it be Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas or Valentine's Day.

In other cultures, the idea that kids would be asked to send cards to the opposite gender would be shocking. I'm a bit surprised it isn't shocking in the US, and that the schools are so complicit in this, of all holidays. If there were a generic "give a card to somebody day", i.e., be nice to your neighbor, that would be far more palatable.