Dos and Don’ts

Two words, Valentine’s Day. This holiday has the power to make you cringe in dread or jump in delight. Regardless of whether or not you enjoy partaking in this day, there are some definite “dos” and “don’ts” that everyone should abide by. So sit down, pull out that cheap chocolate that you still haven’t eaten from last Valentine’s day, and read about what you should and shouldn’t do.

There can be a lot of confusion when it comes to how one handles this overly complicated holiday. Why so much confusion? Valentine’s Day is actually relatively simple. It is all about showing the people you care about how much you love them. Don’t complicate it!

When we were all little, finding the perfect gift was an easy task. The toughest decision we had to make was whether we should buy the box of spongebob valentine cards that came with temporary tattoos or the box of kitten valentine cards that came with little heart stickers to pass out to our classmates. Nowadays, it doesn’t seem as effortless. There are aisles upon aisles of Valentine’s Day merchandise, and there are also the gifts that aren’t even in the aisle. Where do you begin?

First of all, don’t go overboard. As cliche and overused as it is, the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts,” holds a lot of truth. Something small and thoughtful is a much better gift compared to something huge and generic. Also, give them something that is usable. As cute as those gigantic teddy bears are, they will eventually collect dust in the corner of someone’s closet. Go for something that they can use. As far as gifts go, get your significant other, best friend, mother, or cat something that you know they will love and cherish.

Finding the perfect “date” is an entirely different story. Again, the years of elementary school are a prime example. It used to be as simple as writing a little extra on a special valentine and dropping it in little Jimmy’s brown paper bag that he decorated along with the rest of the class. Even though it took a lot of courage for you to plop that sucker into his bag, it was actually pretty easy. Now, not so much. In reality, the person you spend the day with doesn’t have to be a significant other. It could be your best friend, your parent, or even your goldfish. You can even spend the day with yourself. It really doesn’t matter who it is, as long as you are with someone who is special to you with whom you enjoy spending time.

Once you’ve found the optimal gift and date, you now have to decide where to spend the day. Let’s face it, the time of Valentine’s Day class parties are over. You can’t fall back on those anymore. Nowadays, there are so many options. You could go to a nice restaurant, go out of town for a weekend getaway, or even order a heart shaped pizza and watch a movie at home. The list seems to go on and on and on. Here’s the thing- it doesn’t have to be extravagant if you don’t want it to be. Like the gift, sometimes simple is best. If you can’t pull together a huge date night at some fancy-shmancy restaurant, then just spending a night at home with a great chick-flick and a box full of tissues will do the trick.

Regardless of where you spend the day, who you spend it with, and what gift you bestow upon them, it’s important to remember that Valentine’s Day is all about showing the people that you care about how much you really love them, regardless of if they’re your girlfriend, boyfriend, teacher, parent, sibling, or pet rock.