Valentines day: love it or hate it?

by [ shotokan_gal ]

 

Here we go, it's that time of year again. Flowers, hearts, chocolates, everywhere you look. Along with everywhere decked out in red. This can only mean one thing, the dreaded/belove d (delete as applicable!) Valentine's Day is upon us! The day for the love birds amongst us to lavish each other with gifts and affection, and the singles to hide under their beds all day. Some agree with this sentiment right?
  [ Shadow-Lady ]: "Hmm, my opinion of Valentines Day is.. romantic and depressing because: It's a great time to be all lovey-dovey with your boyfriend/girl friend or husband/wife and such, but it can be very depressing for those of us who don't have a boyfriend/girl friend or husband/wife to spend it with."

Image by [Kitty_Mix]

But it's not necessarily as black and white as that for many…

Image by [ spiritee ]
Some of those couples out there, who're supposed to be enjoying the day in all its glory, are getting increasingly sick of it actually. Like so many of the other mainstream holidays in the year, it's become increasingly commercialised over the years. And it sometimes can seem a bit of a competition in who can spend the most on their ‘other half', who gets the biggest bunch of flowers, who gets that giant teddy from the window of Clinton's, holding a fuzzy heart large enough to power a killer whale… etc.
  [ Torbyne ] "Well my opinion on valentines day is a hate it kind of thing but any time I am in a relation when it comes around i usually have to fake it for their sake.. too commercialized, i don't want my love to be all red hearts and chocolate."

Which nice quote leads on nicely to my next point, the whole cliché-ness of the gift giving. Another box of chocolates, another teddy bear, another… *yawn*. Oh how predictable. It's like receiving socks at Christmas from your Nan again, only this time your guy/ girl/ husband/ wife has to suffer. And surely you owe it to them to get them something a little, ah… less predictable? I'll admit I myself am getting that problem this year. I'm avoiding the heart shaped goodies that line the shelves with a fury. Rather thinking - brace yourselves; this might shock some – what would my boyfriend actually LIKE to receive? What about something that'll do him some good and that he'll actually appreciate. Rather than what might look cute at first glance, but two seconds after you present it you'll both be wondering what exactly you're supposed to do next? Surely this is the person you're supposed to know inside out, better than any other, and vice versa. SURELY you can come up with something more decent than heart-shaped, pre-packed commercialism? They deserve better than that. Not that I'm saying you should completely drop the roses and chocs by all means, everyone likes to receive these things occasionally. Year in year out could get a bit tiresome though. I think of them more as a side present personally. “Here, have this what I've got you, and since its Valentines, have a rose too” (or a dozen if you're lucky!).

And exactly how much are you supposed to spend on your nearest and dearest? How many pressie-exchan ging days are there? Christmas, Birthdays and anniversaries at the very least for most (though I'll admit not everyone celebrates everything in the above list, you get the idea), plus any other ‘special dates' you want to throw in there. That's a lot of present giving and chocolate munching. But hold on a minute, and let's take a step back… surely the point of giving someone a present on Valentine's Day (and any other day) isn't for its cost value. There's 365 days in a year (give or take a quarter depending on how fussy you are). And while there are no doubt exceptions, I'd think a lot of people out there don't go “Ohhh look it's nearly the 4th of June, better run out and buy a box of chocolates!”. Seriously though, how often do you take that bit of extra time, spend that little bit more, to appreciate the one you love, if it's not a designated ‘special day'. Christmas is a time for the family and friends, Birthday everyone's lavishing presents on just the one… etc. So what's wrong with having a holiday exclusively for the couples to pile on the affection? Yeah, you can technically do that any day of the year you want:
  [ HiddenFire ] "I'm left thinking that Valentines Day is a farce. Quite frankly, I don't need an excuse to tell her I love her. I don't need a special day to make her feel special. I should hope I do that often and for no reason at all."

And there's nothing stopping you after all! But what's wrong with a world wide time for everyone to do that together really? For all the couples to have one big day of romantic, lovey-dovey stuff. Admit it, during the rest of the year you always plan to have those meals out, weekends away, cosy little moments together… and the time slips by. And well, you'll do it another time right? It's amazing how much time goes by like this. In this respect, Valentine's is like a little kick up the behind for the lazy couple. In a – “Come on, get your act together people, and actually find some time for one another!” kind of way.

Image by [ spiritee ]

Ok ok now we've got you couples out there half settled (we hope), but what're the options for all the singletons out there? Curse the holiday in all its fluffy-heartne ss (a la Scrooge in a Christmas Carol)? Glare at every couple who crosses your path? Just generally be depressed? Well, you could do that, if you want to be a miserable sod. Just don't expect a huge amount of sympathy from this quarter if your sole purpose is to annoy others on their special day. Admittedly, if you keep it to yourself that's fair enough, but I've got a much better idea: alternative Valentine's Day. So you're single, so what? Spend a day with your friends instead, without the couples (who'll probably be otherwise occupied anyway), who, lets face it, get somewhat annoying when you're out with them, and all they can do is sit staring into each other's eyes all the time! Rejoice in the joys and freedom of being single, and be glad that you've managed to avoid another year of clichés and packed restaurants! If you don't want to spend the holiday in its ‘traditional' use, find some other way to enjoy it. It's an awful lot better than sitting around bemoaning life and wishing you weren't single.
  [ Pnelma Tirian ] "Ooooh! I wanna get quoted! ^_^ I don't think of it as a day to get together with your sweet baboo; it's never been anything like that for me. It's been a day to enjoy the friends you've already got's company even more than usual because of the chocolatey treats and whatnot. It also means my birthday is one day away. ;P "

Oh and one more piece of advice for the singles – send a Valentine's card. To your crush, best friend, dog (err, maybe not that one)… anyone! Go on, anonymous or no, it'll make their day. Everyone likes to be remembered really. And who knows, it could be the start of something.
 “She who dares, wins.”

Valentine's Day, love it or hate it, there's no avoiding it. Either way, hope I've managed to make you give it a little more thought than you would otherwise.