Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Valentine’s Is Coming, How Prepared Are You? To be honest, I don’t really care much for this holiday. My favourite flowers - Sunflowers are unavailable at this time of the year. I have never understood what the fuss about Valentine's Day is all about.
Should courtship, romance or passion be forced for a single day in the whole year? 48-hours until the 14th and the fuss about Valentine's Day increases every second.
People are out rushing trying to get gifts for their partners, trying to make sure to find the "right gift".
Plans for dinner, dates and marriage proposals are underway. Me? I am laid-back and relaxed.
You see, Valentine's Day can be celebrated every day. February 14th is only a day that was created for people to spend money. Well, not really true...but hats off to Hallmark for another great way to make money!
Men are forced - okay not forced, let’s say “encouraged” to get their partners the nicest chocolates, flowers, to write a song or poem. Mostly because women LOVE to be made feel special and wanted, but we also love to make comparisons.
"What did he get you?", "Where did you go out to dinner?" "Did he propose?", "How much did the ring cost?" - Oh the nerve of some people! Isn't that completely inappropriate? :-)
What I don't like is when things are taken to far. You've seen the YouTube videos, read the comments on Facebook. Couples breaking up on Valentine's day because something went awry during the planning and execution due to the stress of the fuss about Valentine's Day. God help the guy who made reservations at a restaurant not up to standard.
Single People - Don’t Despair
For you, there's no fuss about Valentine's Day! Spend this day loving yourself. Indulge. Pamper yourself.
Tell no one that you’re spending Valentine’s Day alone. Or on the other hand, do tell them. There's nothing to be ashamed of.
Watch their faces and reactions. I saw this happen the other day at the counter in a store. Two people in front of me speaking. Girl A tells B she is spending Valentine's Day alone. Girl B's jaws drops, she states at A as is she just told them her she has been captured by aliens 3 years ago, lived on Mars and just returned because loves Planet Earth.
Girl B - “Valentine’s Day? Alone? Are you crazy? Why would you do that?” I laughed to myself. Why not? What’s so odd about that? Why not spend the day with the person you love most? YOU.
If you haven't already, make yourself priority. Yes we have families, jobs, partners, KIDS, pets - I know, I get it, I understand. You cannot be there for everyone else if you can't be there for you. Self-care should be at the top of your list. So you can function.
So How And Why Was Valentine's Day Created Anyway?
There once was a little festival the Romans held every year; a festival called Lupercalia, a fertility celebration.
Women would put their names in an urn (yikes!) then men would draw names from the urn and that woman would be their partner for a year. Easy peasy right? What a great way to find yourself a partner. Back then, there was no match.com, and as a consequence of the name drawing there is no fuss about Valentine's Day. It is what it is.
Pope Gelasius came along and proposed to make Saint Valentine the patron of the new celebration he created to replace the Festival of Lupercalia.
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Countries Around The World Celebrate Valentine’s Day In The Following Ways
Estonia: Instead of giving your partner a gift, you give gifts to your friends. The day is all about friendship.
Japan: It is all about the men! Women give chocolates to men and pamper them all day. Men - Thinking about moving to Japan?
Or better yet, to Eritrea where an order was put in place in 2016 by the Eritrean government to its men to marry not less than two wives or face imprisonment - allegedly!
China: Love seekers visit the matchmaker statue in a temple to find love.
Austria: My home. Like in so many other countries, we give our partner chocolates, go out to dinner, receive flowers and so on and so forth, bla bla bla.
What Are Your Plans For Valentine’s Day?
Redecorating your room to look like a love den?
Making a chocolate lava cake? Renting a romantic movie? (*roll eyes here*)
Sucks that this year the day falls on a Tuesday, so refrain from overdoing it with the wine.
OK - I realise I have criticized Valentine’s Day from the start of this post. It wasn’t my intention.
I had planned on writing about the different traditions, but this is what happens when you write and rant just a little. I think lovers should enjoy the days, singles too! Old and young. Everyone.
Celebrate or fuss about Valentine's Day. Whichever works best for you is what you should do. Most important is that since it is a special day, then make the day special. Savour the day and look for all the good things in it.
Celebrate love whenever you want. Better yet, all the time. That's what the hubby and I do,
Be it by yourself, with friends or alone, whichever way you plan on celebrating, have a great time.
In a relationship or not, do you celebrate Valentine's Day? or have any traditions you follow?
Share them with me in the posts below - maybe without "too much information" :-)