Bah-humbug!

Regularly passing by malls (almost everyday), one would notice that shops are now designed with displays or whatnots in red (some even shocking pink like the one along Landmark-Glorietta bridge way) plus the heart-shaped cut-outs. If there's one occasion that is really overrated, I think it's Valentine's Day. Ah, bah-humbug! Valentine's Scrooge! (People may think I'm bitter, bahala kayo).

Seriously, I appreciate the idea of celebrating that occasion with that special someone in your life. What I don't like about it is the way most people celebrate the occasion. And how some of them are simply flaunting and going with the trend.

Seeing guys (teenagers, young adult) holding flowers (sometimes with box of chocolates or a teddy bear in a canister) on the 14th makes me laugh (of course not out loud). The first thing that comes to my mind is, "corny". Well, it's not the idea of showing your love that is corny but the manner and the seeming pressure that the occasion causes these guys to come up with such grandiose celebration.

It seems that the burden of celebrating the day in a grand scheme is always on the guys, right? Who's pressured to get a long-stemmed flower or bouquet of flowers for that day? Who's too busy thinking of how and where to celebrate V-day? Who spends for the celebration? (Aren't you guys tired of this stuff? Don't you find it simply a form of social pressure? Honestly, don't you find it corny? And if you don't have much money to spend, it's pretty expensive dude!)

Does it actually have to be celebrated that way? Well, maybe some women (or say a lot of women) enjoy this kind of treatment. But to me such doesn't make much sense. It doesn't make much difference, ergo, the day turns out not be really special after all.

Any celebration that is simple can be sweeter and more sincere. No fancy gifts, nor grand going out. Eating out is something you regularly do with your special someone. Maybe not in expensive places (but sometimes you do visit expensive restaurants, right) but it's nothing special – beyond normal. There are other things you can do to express your love (without flaunting and spending much) to your special someone on Valentine's Day. Things you don't normally do. And things that not almost all couples do during that day.

[WARNING: MUSHINESS]

But leaving a note (a letter or poem) to your loved one (on the bed for your wife/husband; via courier or email to your girlfriend/boyfriend) could be much sweeter and quite extra-ordinary, right? Maybe couples could do something like this than simply going out, spending much on flowers-chocolates-gifts (mostly for guys). Something that both of you can enjoy without much pressure and expenses (mostly for the guys again). Something more personal.

Maybe, Valentine's Day would have less heavy traffic, less jammed and noisy restaurants; therefore it would be less irritating. :D

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Seryoso, kabado ako pag 14th; kinakabahan na maiirita na naman ako. Jaded? It’s probably the unconventional in me.