Valentine's Day

Love it or hate it every year on the 14th of February Valentine's fever takes over where those in a relationship feel the need to acknowledge it & those not in a relationship try their hardest to ignore it. But does anyone really like Valentine's Day and what's it all about anyway?

Traditionally the day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending cards and flowers, the history of Valentine's Day is shrouded in mystery, as is its patron saint, but what I do know from my research is that around a billion cards are sent each year making it the second most recognised day behind Christmas, where something like two and a half billion cards are sent. Around 85% of cards are purchased by women, and the US aside, Valentine's Day is celebrated in countries such as Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia.

I have been fortunate enough to live in the US, the United Kingdom & Australia and can honestly say that I have been overlooked on Valentine's Day more times than I care to remember. I do recall at a tender age tentatively checking the letterbox every half hour or so in the hope that a card would magically appear from my first crush who lived two streets away (and no, it didn't), but as I grew older I was more prone to check the letterbox only once on the 14th of February & always on the pretense of checking for bills.

Robin and I have been together for 10 years now & in the time we have only celebrated Valentine's Day once, the first year we were together. We were living in London in a rather rundown apartment in Shepherds Bush (we were later evicted so they could fix it up after the bathroom floor fell through to our downstairs neighbours) with only one bedroom, a large lounge area, fair sized kitchen & converted loft area that slept up to 5 travellers at a time. Thankfully Robin & I had the bedroom as I was the only female & we were the only ones in a relationship. He insisted I work that day & when I returned shortly before dinner time there was a large envelope tacked onto the door with my name on it containing a card & a note telling me to go straight to our room. Naturally I did as I was told but not before inhaling the most delightful smells unfamiliar to our shared kitchen and more at home in the finer restaurants Robin had worked in around London.

Entering our room I almost stumbled into the round bistro style table set up in the centre, flanked by two chairs and dressed in a white table cloth. A single candle burnt from a holder placed centrally on the table and fairy lights shone from their position around our mirror where I had placed them some weeks previously. My favourite Air song played on a loop and 11 red roses were strewn over our double bed (on enquiring why only 11 Robin admitted he had given one to the girl at the checkout who had looked so forlorn as she'd packed up his goodies for the romantic evening ahead). A handmade menu announced the evening's courses, and though I'm sure you'd like to know what they were I will refrain from exposing my husband's romantic side (albeit a little scarce) in the hope that it will remain intact ...

The next day he asked me to marry him, I said yes, & Valentine's Day has been overlooked ever since!

Actually, that's not completely true, the last two years he has sent me flowers, not roses mind you, but I daren't say anything for fear I don't get anything at all.

However, in fairness to Robin, it is hard to celebrate Valentine's Day when you're in the industry. Naturally it's one of the restaurant's busiest nights where the dining room is filled with tables of two and romance blossoms. So on February 14 I play the hospitality widow card, order in a take away, down a glass or two of wine and treat myself to a chick flick. Maybe next year I'll have a table of three & let my two little men take me out, the eldest of which was asked this Valentine's Day by his best female friend if he would like to get married (he sensibly answered that yes, he would, but at not yet 4 he wasn't quite ready). I'd like to pretend that either way I'm not fussed but in all honesty the marketing has got to me & though I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day, I sure as hell want to be recognised on the day!