Valentine's Day

posted by Kate at 3:32pm February 5, 2010.

I have a particularly strange relationship with this "holiday" of sorts, and am coming to grips with that fact.  In wondering what to do, I've heard a lot of "we're going for dinner.", which takes me to my next point.

Personally, I take the advice of Dan Savage and keep my dinners and sexy times separate - no one likes to be full, loagy, and bloated when it's supposed to be time for romance.  My best tip for those of you that are attached this year is not to make dinner the first stop on the romance train.  Make it the last, when you're so tired from totally doin' it all day that you just *need* to eat SOMETHING. 

So what's YOUR advice for a "holiday" (It isn't, and I generally hate that I sometimes feel compelled to celebrate it) well spent?  This includes the single folks among us as well.  How do you spend the day?  A show with friends, a fancy party, dinner and drinks?

Dole at 4:59pm February 6, 2010.

Valentine's is a bullshit capitalist holiday.  I'd like to think my distaste for this day has nothing to do with my perpetually single status... and it's not really a distaste for the day; if couples just bumped naughties and showered one another with affection all day, I'd be all for it.  It's the fact that it becomes about the gifts and dinners.  People that already make enough money make more of it while the average folk of the earth spend their hard earned cash on this 'special' day to prove their love that SHOULD be obvious every day of the year in the first place. 

Yeah.  Something like that, anyway.

 
Meesha at 4:02pm February 7, 2010.

You know what would make valentines day for me?  PJ's all day and board games.  Yeah.  I dont want to spend a dime, or have any $$ spent on me.

Really, the whole "holiday" is a joke, and an easy out for people to show their love for someone, rather than doing that throughout the year.  Wouldn't you rather get a "happy wednesday!" kind of surprise?  I know I would.

But if someone is compelled to do something just because its Valentines Day, I recommend staying in bed with your significant other ALL DAY.  Eat some fruit...keep your energy up...ya know.

Single?  Even if you arn't, go hang out with the people in your life that you love.

 
Aaron at 7:16pm February 7, 2010.

If I'm staying in bed all day, I don't need just fruit to keep my energy up; I usually go for a few Power Bars and a bottle of Gatorade.

 
Coco at 5:27pm February 7, 2010.

This isn't really advice, just kind of my opinion.  The longer that I'm in a relationship, the less I give a shit about Valentine's day.  When I was younger, or in a new relationship, it was fun to come up w/ something to do for Valentine's Day, and hey, I'm never one to turn down free chocolate no matter what time of year it is.  But nowadays, eight years into a common-law partnership, it's not something I feel I HAVE to "celebrate".  

To be fair, since T & I don't often exchange gifts unless it's a birthday or Christmas, it's kind of a fun excuse to pick up a wee giftie, but not necessarily bears, or shit with hearts and flowers on it.  This year, we happen to have planned a trip to the museum for next Sunday, so I guess we can call it a Valentine's day date if we feel like it.  However, we wanted to go regardless of the fact that next Sunday happens to be the 14th.  We are also planning to do the dinner thing, but not til Tuesday.  Again, we don't often make plans to go out somewhere nice to eat, so it seemed like as good an excuse as any.

As for the rest of the year, it's the silly little things in life I find romantic or sweet, like if T gets my coffee for me in the mornings without my having to ask.  And I'm always the one to clean the bathroom. If that's not romance, I don't know what is. ;)

 
Kate at 7:58pm February 7, 2010.

Ha!  Cleaning the bathroom is pretty much the worst, but you're right - that's romance.  He doesn't have to do it.  :)

I'm also feeling less compelled to celebrate, and I've never enjoyed getting gifts in the traditional sense.  Just something extra nice is good, I think.