Why, as a Romantic myself, I hate Valetine's Day.

It's taken me three attempts at this blog post to convey the message I want to convey in this blog post. And you're probably wondering, o intrepid reader, what that message is. To begin simply for once, I say this: for me, having the 14th of February as a day for couples to follow along to the general companies idea of a 'romantic holiday' completely devalues the romantic. And 'why' is most probably your next question and the answer shall be the rest of this entire blog post.

There's something about idea that we're celebrating a 3rd Century Saint who happened to be rather fond of a lot of several boys and would get herself into a lot of 'sexual situations' is not appealing. She tried preaching the word of God, failed and went on to fraternise with several men. Eventually, she was burnt by the people for saying she had heard the word of God or something. EVEN WORSE THEN THIS: it's actually more of a Pagan celebration that Christians when invading all the Pagan tribes basically cut and stole from them and inserted it into their European celebrations of God and what not.

Before this develops into a heated topic of the history of modern Religions and my rather...strong...views on Organised Religion are brought up, I'm coming home with the point: This celebration is kooky! Seriously, we're celebrating the burning of a woman. I don't even understand this, it's like my beef with Guy Fawkes (who if you ask me is the last real Protester in Politics, but anyway...), are celebrating the burning of someone. Her vicious killing and the talk of her rather extraordinary, contradictory life.

I'm going off two versions of her life I've read in books that I got from the Library as reference for this blog post. She has more flattering versions out there but these two are actually quite similar to the truth it seems, a cover up by most Cultures who do celebrate St. Valentine's Day in some way. Nowadays, it is one of Hallmark's greatest sale days along with Mother's Day, Father's Day and various other made-up Card Company holidays that we have accepted into forever market consuming society. I digress too easily! This is all a fascinating stab at a lot of religious celebrations in our culture but it seems to not answer 'why' I am so Anti-Valentine's.

I am Single, it seems to be a topic that does crop up a few times in my blog already. So maybe I am just one of those recently-heart-broken-singletons-who-is-bitter/believes-he'll-never-find-love-again. I would like to say: that is not the case. I'm not really on the look-out right now and that's probably something to be covered at another time. I've hated it and if I was still in a relationship, I would've told my partner not to celebrate. (Though, she's anti-Valentine's too and it'd probably wouldn't even be considered celebrating).

I say in the title I'm a Romantic. I like to think of love & relationships in perhaps a golden haze of happiness and emotion and what not. Perhaps the influence of a Mother who enjoyed those sorts of films, or that I have my hand at Poetry a lot of the time, that have made me like this. I almost think of love like some sort of spontaneous explosion of awesome that takes you on one hell of a journey with your respective partner. That the partnership offered, on a romantic-level and various others, is one of beauty. And perhaps due to a slightly nerving inferiority complex, have great gratitude you have someone at your side so accepting, so embracing of you.

Once, I bought flowers for my Ex-Girlfriend. They were these nice green things and the reason why I generally never did it again is because her cat ate them and so she didn't get to appreciate them for that long. I use to write her stanzas of poetry and have sometimes, long summer walks. I use to believe we should do such romantic activities and grab pictures with her and what not. Of well, generally being quite romantic, of attempting to figuratively whisk her off her feet. I'd like to think sometimes it did work from time time to time. I did these things out of choice and I think she did appreciate them at times.

Valentine's Day sort of devalues a lot of my actions. It says that a Guy, or Girl, can do one day of romance when everyone else is and do things that I did quite voluntarily and happily. Yet the 14th of February, everyone joins in on the romantic band-wagon and treats their partner this way and lies about who they are by acting all romantic. Now maybe other Romantics do celebrate Valentine's Day, I'm guaranteed there are but, everyone else joins in at this time. Maybe I'm just being Hipster but we were doing it before it was teh general time of everyone else doing it.

Here's a new idea; how about you treat your partner to a romantic evening, buy him/her flowers when the prices aren't jacked up and just be all nice-y for a random day. Why? To make shit stand out and to show you care, you're not just doing because some bloody day dictates that you must suddenly reveal yourself as a romantic and that for 364 Days a year it's cool for you not to be because, "you make the effort on Valentine's Day". No, you do it because you want to and that it isn't just some obligatory thing by society. And if you are truly, truly not a romantic? Then say that from Day One and roll with it.

Why? Because if anyone has any chance of falling in love with you then you've got to lay down the cards on the table as to what sort of person you are. And generally, you'll have other admirable qualities as most people fucking do. Like, I'm a Romantic but also a big pain in the arse (as explained in my recent post 'The Thing About Me is#1). So, said-partner, you may not be romantic but you might no be a pain in the arse like me. And thus, you shouldn't be forced to celebrate some tradition set up because apparently, "ultimate Boyfriend/Girlfriend is someone romantic."

NEWSFLASH: THAT IS TOTAL BOLLOCKS.

SOME people want romance. And just because the Movies and media tell the young folk that's what all relationships are about on that level, they're not. And Valentine's Day is a complete symbol of that: of breaking down romance into a chore that must be done to answer Society's needs of having some day of "luuurv". And the thing is, if you're going to be romantic, don't just join in when thousands of others are: do it when you it's just completely random but refreshing for your partner! And if you don't have a romantic bone in your body and are single today, it's not because you're not-a-romantic (probably) and if in a relationship but a non-romantic, don't be romantic. Be yourself. Because in its own way, that's just as romantic.

To wrap up simply: Why do I have Valentine's Day? Because it makes romance seems like something you can condense/wrap up easily in one day and that people are expected to just do the same thing. And that isn't romantic at all. (Plus, pretty sure we shouldn't celebrate Arson and a Girl-Who-Can't-Keep-Her-legs-Shut). And, stayed tuned o dear readers, I have another blog post for today too! HOW LUCKY ARE YOU GUYS?! 8D