I hate Valentine's Day. (I am saying this so that you can have an idea on what this article is about before continuing reading.)
Even though I am not one of those people who believes that Valentine's Day is a creation of companies that sell greeting card flowers, I can understand why people hold such opinions, judging by the messengers who deliver the avalanche of information on what one should do on that day. As the day approaches, topics such as "what are your plans for Valentine's Day?" and "what do you hope to receive from your boy/girlfriend/spouse" often creep into conversations. When someone asks me these questions, it is often followed by a long period silence, as I find it difficult to formulate an honest answer that wouldn't shock others. (I am sure you have figured out my current relationship status by now.)
My relationship status aside, the fact that many people who still consider someone buying them the following items as romantic gestures puzzles me. (Yes, it is the thought that counts, but shouldn't someone actually put some thought into coming up with ways to surprise one's other half on Valentine's Day?)
Many people (mostly men) give their significant other a bouquet of long stem roses on Valentine's Day to show their love. I have yet to figure out why such roses, specifically the flower, is considered a symbol of love towards the other. Since the roses, cut off from their life support, will wilt and be tossed into the trash bin shortly after Valentine's Day, does this mean the recipient would be dumped for someone else when he/she is no longer good looking? However, if one wishes send roses to show how much one is in love with one's other half, perhaps a better idea is to skip the middlemen (and there are many) and send a packet of rose seeds instead. The gift can be considered a symbol of the relationship — with patience and care, the plant, like the relationship, would blossom. (This probably applies for any other type of flowers.)
Chocolate is another favourite Valentine's Day gift item. When I think about chocolate, a phrase from a chocolate commercial from long ago — "only melts in your mouth, not in your palms" — often springs to mind. When one eats chocolate, it inevitably melts. So if one gives one's spouse/partner chocolate to show how much one cares about the other, would the recipient think that the gift provider is implying their relationship is melting/on thin ice. On the other hand, the message behind the gift can may be that the recipient has changed the sender for the better, by melting the cold exterior of the sender. (Of course, this may simply be a case of me making the act of gift giving into something much more complicated — most people, male or female, would love to receive chocolate from someone else.)
The recipe for a "proper" date on Valentine's Day always include a dinner at a "romantic" setting. To take advantage of the occasion, many restaurants prepare Valentine's Day menus specifically for two (or an even number of) people. One problem naturally arises from this — what happens if a party consists of an odd number of people wishes to dine at such a restaurant on Valentine's Day? While the restaurants would invariably put in a lot of effort to create a romantic atmosphere on February 14, a meal can hardly be considered romantic when one dines in a crowded restaurant where every conversation can be heard. If a couple truly wishes to be romantic, it may be better to have Valentine's Day dinner at home (where the settings are more comfortable, the food is always cooked to order, and there is no mark up in price or wait staff glancing at you throughout the meal).
From the above one may get the impression that I am someone who doesn't even feign being romantic on Valentine's Day, which is probably the correct conclusion. If you are someone who hate Valentine's Day, be comforted that there is someone in this world who is even more hopeless when it comes to love and being romantic.