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Original poster

Do you all still celebrate Valentines Day?

29 replies

spurs12345 · 05/02/2011 21:18

Just wondering as when I asked my friends what they are doing on V/Day they looked at me as if I was mad and said to me "of course not". Im going out with my husband as we do go out on V/Day every year. We have been together for 13 years. Is anyone else going out on V/Day and if not why?

OP posts:

GnomeDePlume · 05/02/2011 21:26

We have been married 19 years and still celebrate though normally with a nice meal at home and an early night . I can understand people not going out but not celebrating would seem odd for us.

Binfullofmaggotsonthe45 · 05/02/2011 21:37

I don't mind celebrating the day - but in our own way iyswim. The most romantic evening we had was a night at the dog track, a burger king and a snuggle on the night bus home!

What I can't stand is enforced romance - couples sitting stiffly in Italian restaurants arguing through gritted teeth amongst the straw hanging chianti bottles and wilting foil heart balloons.

davidtennantsmistress · 05/02/2011 22:13

nope, DP is away :( but tbh I think it's over rated - they charge you £20 a head more on one night a year?!? (scrooge bar humbug! lol)

we usually go out (or try to) once a month or once every 6 weeks for a meal/cinema without the kids about, so tbh i'm not bothered.

Original poster

spurs12345 · 05/02/2011 22:20

I agree that Valentines day is over rated but its only one night of the year. Yes it is expensive but its worth it in my opinion. Its the only night me and my husband have to ourselves as the kids are with us constantly even when we go out to eat.

OP posts:

BelligerentGhoul · 05/02/2011 22:23

Never have; never will. Can't think of anything worse than sitting in a restaurant surrounded by other couples. And if I want chocolate or flowers, I'll buy them myself any day!

Plus dp's birthday and my birthday are just before Valentine's Day.

WannabeaShootingStar · 05/02/2011 22:23

I think it's overrated I'd rather OH bought me something / took me out because he wants to not because he should because society tells him to!

woollyjo · 05/02/2011 22:33

Yep but then its my bithday even if it wasn't any excuse for a homemade glue & glitter celebration/festival is heartily welcome in the woolly household - Chinese new year was great this week -you don't have to do it a certain way do it your way.

seaweedhead · 05/02/2011 23:01

When DP and I first got together he said "I don't do valentine's day" and I said "I don't do bumsex" Have never done either and doubt I ever will.

CilantroLarry · 05/02/2011 23:03

Never bothered. I've never found a non smug, non twee way to say that we show each other we love each other every day. Don't need enforced jollity to prove it.

We generally forget it's even happening.

Pancake day however...

onehotmomma · 05/02/2011 23:42

LMAO seaweed we don't celebrate it as such but we do buy little gifts for each other. This year I have bought him an 'I love you' ballon and will make him some heart shape cookies

Mymblesson · 06/02/2011 08:12

Always, but neither of us can stand the commercial crap.

Usually we'll buy cards for each other (not tacky Valentine's ones, just nice cards, blank inside so we can write what we want). Sometimes we go out, sometimes I'll cook us a meal. This year I'm planning take her out.

defineme · 06/02/2011 08:19

Not going out because I won't pay more for the same food! Will be staying in with a bottle of fizz and I have got dh a cd, but I really want it myself so will see if it makes it to the day!Cards are a must for me-we're not overly demonstrative so it's nice to have a day when we do have romance. We celebrate christmas for the family stuff and the same but for couples. I woudn't want dh to buy overpriced roses though.

lilacisinlove · 06/02/2011 08:37

First valentine's day for me in a newish relationship. We're spending the weekend together in a hotel in London and going to the theatre on Saturday night. We don't live together and find the days apart really difficult. This will be our first whole weekend together since new year and our celebrations are partly about timing (would have done the same this weekend whether V Day or not). Neither of us thought we would meet someone and fall in love - we're both in our 40s, divorced and with kids - but we did, we're made for each other and happier than we've ever been. That deserves to be celebrated.

Binfullofmaggotsonthe45 · 06/02/2011 18:25

Lovely post lilac, have a super valentines weekend!

seaweedhead · 06/02/2011 19:55

See Lilac that's what it should be about- people who are in love celebrating because they want to, not because they feel obliged to.

Missile · 07/02/2011 05:06

Yes, of course! Together 12 years this year and its not enforced ... its another excuse to make even more effort than normal. No gifts are exchanged, we never go out, but we cook.something special and DH makes me elaborate, romantic cards (I buy him one, not remotely creative cringe)

ben5 · 07/02/2011 05:12

It's our wedding annivarsy on 14 Feb. we changed our first date as I found out i was expecting ds1 about 2 weeks later and the next date everyone had free was 14 feb!

dh is navy and we haven't spent 14th together since we got married 7 years ago!( well it's 7 years this year!)

ttalloo · 07/02/2011 05:29

DH and I have been together for 13 years and we are far too jaded and exhausted to even contemplate going out to celebrate Valentine's Day. So we're going to get a takeaway, watch a DVD, and he'll buy me flowers and we'll exchange cards.

Lilac's post, though, has inspired me to see if DH is up for doing something special for our wedding anniversary - that is more important to me than Valentine's Day.

Have a great weekend, Lilac, btw - your story sounds very romantic, which is, I suppose, what Valentine's Day is all about!

thumbdabwitch · 07/02/2011 05:51

Yes we do, but there are a couple of "rules":
No flowers - waaaay too overpriced.
No evening meal out - we go out for lunch instead, most places haven't really got a Valentine's lunch thing going on, so it's a lot cheaper, a lot less tacky and a lot less crowded (everyone waiting to go out in the evening )

Given half a chance, DH would never do anything special for any day - birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, mother's day - all equally utterly meaningless unimportant to him. But because he knows they are important to me, we do stuff.
(And no, he doesn't do random special stuff any other day of the year either).

Bunbaker · 07/02/2011 06:52

No. OH sent me an orchid on our first Valentine's day (we lived 250 miles apart then), but has never bothered ever since. He doesn't "do" Valentine's day. As a result neither do I. However, I don't mind too much as he is the right man for me and I would rather have an unromantic husband that I love, respect and trust than a lying toad who buys me flowers at the drop of a hat.

It sounds like my OH is very like yours thumbdabwitch

KikiJane · 07/02/2011 11:26

I have a feeling I'll get flowers or something, and my daughter and I have decided that we will cook a nice dinner on Sunday for my bf and my son "because they're our two favourite boys" (according to my daughter :) )

My bf and I don't live together and Monday is the only night we don't see each other, but we're going to make an exception next week and spend Monday evening together. It'll just be pizza and TV, I imagine, and it'll be lovely :)

KikiJane · 07/02/2011 21:13

I came home from work this evening and my son had spent £15 of his Christmas money on a heart-shaped box of Thornton's chocolates and a card for his girlfriend. He's 11. I think there are some men who could learn from him

lilacisinlove · 07/02/2011 21:31

kiki, that's lovely - I hope she appreciates his efforts!

Thanks for all your good wishes, everyone

KikiJane · 07/02/2011 22:03

Thanks, so do I!

Have a lovely time, lilac :)

Blondeshavemorefun · 08/02/2011 16:11

always give cards and always go out for a meal (but we have no dc)

if we did then a nice meal/take away would be good

been together 19yrs and married for nearly 4

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