Love for sale

It's the 14th of February and of course it is the Feast of St. Valentine or Valentine's Day. I feel slightly guilty that the feast day of a martyred saint brings out the cynic in me but it does. Perhaps it's to do with the fact that no sooner does New Year's day turn to the 2nd of January, we get inundated with shops displaying heart shaped chocolates, cards with cupids on them, orders for flowers (in case they stop blooming the week before 14/2)  the list goes on. As if January is not depressing enough with Christmas behind us, the cold dark nights ahead and the self deprivation we force upon ourselves as punishment for the festive season's excesses, we now face cupid with his arrow poised to target our wallets. 

I remember when I was a young girl, (yes I have an amazing memory!) the biggest excitement on Valentine's day was receiving/sending a card and signing it 'your Valentine'. Now I say this as if I had experienced being either the receiver or sender of such cards. I experienced neither but it didn't matter. It was good fun, I got to live vicariously through those who did receive/send such cards and most of all it didn't cost much - just the price of a card and a stamp.

It is quite sweet that some couples choose to go out to dinner on Valentine's day. If only the Restaurateurs would be equally sweet with their Valentine's Specials. The only thing 'special' about these offers are the prices.Swapping white tablecloths for red ones with a rose in the middle of the table, doesn't really warrant such inflated rates.  Now don't hold a grudge against me for this suggestion, but if one person does most of the cooking on a day to day basis, why doesn't the other person cook on the day, instead. It might be torture for the regular cook but at least you will have your aaaaahhh moment on Valentine's day instead of the aarrggggh?? moment when you get your bill at the restaurant (and you can always raid the fridge later).  

To put it in less cynical perspective,Valentine's day is about celebrating something abstract like love with physical representations like chocolate and wine. Ideally, we should celebrate love everyday, so you don't have to be Einstein to conclude what else we should be doing everyday........bring on the chocolates and wine!!!!