Chocolates, flowers and procrastination. For many Americans, Valentines Day is a last-minute affair

In a classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, a young man hands his girlfriend a Valentine’s Day gift: a bear dressed in a bee costume that he picked up at the drugstore.

“When did you get this?” she asks with a strained smile.

“One minute ago,” he replies.

It has more than a ring of truth. For a day meant to celebrate romance and the depths of feeling we have for loved ones, a large portion of Valentine’s shopping is done at the last minute.