LOL.
I do agree this is a cheap commercial excuse to make us all spend money. It can be fun though.
My wife and I this year got each other very practical gifts, I think that's the way to go. They don't even have to be that expensive.
For example, my wife gave me a bagel toaster, which I promptly unboxed and used to toast my breakfast. She also gave me a GC to Sunglasses Hut to replace my crappy sunglasses.
She loves artwork, so I bought her an original oil painting by an artist she likes, and then I created a 2 CD Set for her of some great love songs, personalized for her.
So, V-Day is all about perspective.