Me And My Valentine’s (Day)
14 02 2007Valentine’s Day. February 14th. If you don’t know about St Valentine’s Day, you are obviously from another planet. For weeks now, everywhere I go has been decked out in red and pink, with hearts, and flowers, fluffy things and simply everything to speak (and help you speak, should you get tongue-tied) the language of lurrve.
There are going to be many people writing about the History of Valentine’s Day, Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day, Ways To Part With Your Money on Valentine’s Day and How Not To Blow It On Valentine’s Day, Where To Go On Valentine’s Day, How To Express Your Lurrve Love And Affection on Valentines Day, Music For Valentine’s Day and of course What To Do When You Stay In On Valentine’s Day.
One thing’s missing though. What To Do When You Don’t Get a Valentine’s Card on Valentines Day (and everyone else does) and What To Say When You Get Asked How Many Cards Did You Get – to git being smug about their pile.
Right now, in Toronto it is snowing hard, and looks like it’s going to be doing that for some time. So Huzza and I are staying in on Valentine’s evening. I think of Valentine’s Day as BH and AH (Before Husband and After Husband). In fact before boyfriend and after boyfriend. And overall, we both think Valentine’s Day is a HUGE commercial rip off.
Which is pretty interesting seeing as:
-
- We became engaged on Valentine’s Day – unbeknown to me one of my colleagues was at the same restaurant as we were and said “we were so into each other “that we could have been the only ones in the restaurant…” Well, he was busy asking me to marry him and I was thoroughly enjoying it (by the way, he was going to get down on one knee and I begged him not to… God, in the middle of the restaurant…??)
- We celebrated my first winter visit to Canada on a Valentines Weekend away in Niagara falls complete with huge but tacky red jacuzzi, but lots of luxury. Hint: Niagara Falls is beautiful in February. Freezing, but beautiful.
But I clearly remember, in the days when I wasn’t seeing anyone, everyone else getting Valentine Cards (plural) and me getting zero. Zilch. Nil. Changing the subject was in order, but difficult. When you are single with no potential Valentines, it can be pretty depressing. I got a Valentine one year and I never found out who my admirer was… I kept thinking they’d reveal themselves, but they never did. It intrigues me even today.
But after you’re married it didn’t really matter anyway.
When Huzza (blog nickname for my husband) and I got together he was always sending me flowers (he knows I like them) and cards and he still does. I also get choccies, chocolates which I love. So, apart from all the hype Valentine’s Day is just like any other day – except we bypass the hype almost completely. We don’t buy each other presents, but we do get each other cards – more because we got engaged on that day than because of the day itself.
We go out to dinner (which we do anyway) but we don’t go on Valentine’s evening, because everywhere is booked up for ages and if you can get anywhere, good luck. And menus are nice, but everything is at least double the price. And of course you have the “single red rose” people coming round… So we go either the day before or the day after and skip the hassle.
And I never know whether to say “Happy Valentine’s Day” to people or not. I mean, what if they’ve been expecting a Valentine and didn’t get one?? What if they’ve just broken up? Or are splitting up? Saying Happy Valentine’s Day might add insult to injury… with that one I’m never quite sure.
Generally Huzza’s view is that Valentine’s day is just another way for shops to separate you from your money…he has no patience for it. And each year I agree more, I’m just glad when it’s over. Everything just jumps in price and the whole day is so hyped. Flowers are crazy expensive. And get those ads about diamonds… I think we feel that if we “buy in” to it we’ll never get out.
But I suppose if the only time you say “I love you” to your sweetie, or buy flowers (guys, we love flowers any time of the year, yes we do, really!) or do something nice is Valentine’s Day, then it had better be damn good.
What about you? What’s your take on Valentine’s day. Do you love it? Or loathe it?
Happy Valentine’s Day Everybody! 
I’ll be the first bitter voice to chirp up. Loathe it.
Always hated it. And not because I didn’t get valentines cards/prezzies/whatever, but because the expectation was there that either you get a ton or your worthless, you also have to give them or you look selfish. So basically the theme is :give cause you have to.
Then a couple of friends of mine got dumped on Vday, so we declared from then on we’d wear black and ignore the day the best we could. I must admit today I’m sitting here in black (though I am wearing jeans, not solid black).
My husband hates the commercialism and refuses to get me anything on the principle that a holiday will not dictate when he will buy me a present and when he’ll tell me he loves me. He’s a fortunate man in that I’m ok with this (and for a whole host of other reasons! He’d better remember!). I do bend to the force that is chocolate covered strawberries these days.
Of course I’m bitter and cranky.
I really wouldn’t mind getting a flower or two today.
I hate it! When’s it Singleton Day?
I definitely think Valentine’s Day is overcommercialized. I would much rather do something else on some other day.
However, I never really think of this day as valentine’s day because it is the birthday of a good friend of mine, so I prefer to think of it as his birthday! To me, that is much more important.
Besides, if you wait until after today you can buy all the chocolate, cards and other goodies for half price or less! Then you can create your own celebration day any other day, and that sounds like way more fun.
@Triana and Mosh …Did you know there are now Anti-Valentine cards
Except I’m not sure who one would send them to….Singleton Day is long overdue… ever noticed how all these commercial celebrations are for couples and or people with kids? I’m with you on the chocolate strawberries though…
@RMS - my thoughts exactly - way more fun and much cheaper
over commercialized, all the way. And no I’m not just bitter because I’m always for gotten.
But seriously, it’s too much. If you really love your friends and family and significant other then it shows all year long. We don’t need a special day for it, gosh!
I’ve never really thought of this day as being only for lovers. In our family we made cards for all our friends and I have carried this tradition on myself. Today I posted a Valentine for all our beloved geeks at wordpress.com http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic.php?id=7836&replies=6 and my beloved received Valentines from happy clients as well. So I think Valentine’s Day can be whatever we choose to make it be.
As the song says:
“What the world needs now is love sweet love it’s the only thing there’s just to little of.”
I’m commenting to urge everyone to make Valentines and send them next year as a way of expressing love and affection for friends that we hold near and dear, whether or not we are romantically involved with them.
As for me well I gave myself a Valentine’s Day gift. I got a really cute haircut and I feel great.
“All we need is love, love. Love is all we need. ”
All my love, your friend, tt.
Bah humbug! Over-commercialised most definitely. I’d rather receive flowers as a surprise on a normal day than get a smaller bunch of roses (which will probably only last a day or so because they’ve been forced in a greenhouse to be ready for the day) at twice the cost just because it’s valentines day.