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MSE Blog: Valentine’s Day – whose side are you on?

edited 12 February 2013 at 1:54PM in Marriage, relationships & families
29 replies 2.8K views
Former_MSE_HelenFormer_MSE_Helen Former MSE
2.4K Posts
edited 12 February 2013 at 1:54PM in Marriage, relationships & families
Hi all, this is a thread to discuss the MSE blog:
Valentine’s Day – whose side are you on?


"Are you the romantic, sensitive kind who loves Valentine’s Day in all its slushy glory or the cynical type who thinks Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a chance for Cupid to rob you blind with that little bow and arrow of his?..."
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Replies

  • It romance for those who can't be bothered to be romantic at any other time. Being told when to be romantic to your partner isn't romantic in the slightest, it's about as far from romantic as you can get.

    You should be romantic all year round, not to order on a specified date. More so when it becomes the least romantic year of the night with production line restaurants being booked out offering limited menus to push through the volume of patrons they want to maximise revenue.
  • I don't think that being romantic on valentine's day means that you aren't the rest of the year too....some people seem to think you do one or the other and it's impossible to do both!

    We don't tend to go overboard for valentine's day but it nice to do something a little bit special...that doesn't necessarily mean going out and spending loads of money and often it's just a special meal at home for the two of us. Equally at other times of the year we will go for a nice meal out together or have a nice day out just because we want to.
    Common sense?...There's nothing common about sense!
  • tea_lovertea_lover Forumite
    8.3K Posts
    Forumite
    I'm definitely in the "commercial nonsense" camp. Does anyone really think that some chocolate in a nasty pink box, an over-priced rose, or some cheap netting underwear makes the perfect partner?
  • SystemSystem Community Admin
    178K Posts
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Community Admin
    I dont want hearts and flowers. I dont want over enthuthiastic displays of affection... but a card would be nice.:(
  • Gra76Gra76 Forumite
    801 Posts
    Mortgage-free Glee!
    I think Valentine's Day is just one huge rip-off. Like every other 'day to be celebrated' during the year the commercial aspect of it just grates on me.

    Why should I pay massively inflated prices for flowers that cost a fraction of the price any other time of the year?

    My wife is lucky that it's her birthday on Valentine's Day or she'd likely not even get a card!

    Who says romance is dead? Me apparently...
  • I think Valentines Day belongs to teenagers.
    As an adult, I prefer the flowers, cards, little surprises at other times of the year, when I'm surprised by them and when theres no mass hysterical expectation of pink, flowery, chocolaty wonders of the world.
  • victoryvictory Forumite
    16.2K Posts
    I think it's commercial nonsense that if you don't buy into at extortionately high over inflated prices it is there to make you feel that you don't care, you are not prepared to pay whatever it takes is questioning the love? What rot although a pang of envy here and there comes into it when you see all the massive bouquets deliver to work, that is the commercial pull done its job:D
    misspiggy wrote: »
    I'm sure you're an angel in disguise Victory :)
  • daisieggdaisiegg Forumite
    5.4K Posts
    We are romantic every single day, but we still love to celebrate Valentine's Day. We enjoy making the most of any gift giving occasion going! We enjoy planning and spoiling each other and having a sense of special occasion. It doesn't mean we're buying into 'commercial rubbish' (we buy actual gifts rather than flowers or chocolates or anything pink or fluffy or heart shaped) and it definitely doesn't mean that we are not romantic any other time.
  • I guess the answer lies in are you doing valentines day because it's expected, or because you want to. If you only do it because it's expected then it's hardly romantic.
  • daisiegg wrote: »
    We are romantic every single day, but we still love to celebrate Valentine's Day. We enjoy making the most of any gift giving occasion going! We enjoy planning and spoiling each other and having a sense of special occasion. It doesn't mean we're buying into 'commercial rubbish' (we buy actual gifts rather than flowers or chocolates or anything pink or fluffy or heart shaped) and it definitely doesn't mean that we are not romantic any other time.

    We don't do typical valentine's day gifts either (although I love things from hotel chocolat and would welcome them any time, valentine's or not!). This year I've bought my partner some running gear because he's got some races coming up and needed a new singlet...it's not pink and fluffy but it's a gift he'll use and appreciate and know that I've thought about him when picking it out.

    TBH I'd have bought it to give him before his next race anyway, it just happens that his next race is a few days after valentine's.
    Common sense?...There's nothing common about sense!
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