But, alas, a Rose

Today is a day celebrated by many couples, avoided by an even greater number of single people and laughed at by children.

Valentines Day, really? It's almost if St. Valentines had nothing better to do but create yet another celebration for people who are in a relationship and laugh at people who are less fortunate or perhaps prefer to be single. Sure, it's a very "romantic" day where many people dream to share this designated day with their special other half, but the necessity? Hardly necessary.

• The Day You Asked Me Out
• The Day We First Went Out

These two would be the first of many things to celebrate in a relationship, no? In some more extreme cases:

• The Day We First Kissed
• The Day You Bought Me a Present
• The Day You Met My Parents
• The Day I Met Your Parents
• The Day You Bought Me A Pet
• Our Pet's Birthday
• Engagement Day
• Wedding Day

However, all is well if every single one of those celebrations are forgotten (except maybe wedding anniversary, that's kind of important), so long as Valentines Day is remembered. Why? Because this is the one and only day that everybody knows, one that everyone should be able to relate to.

This post shall be dedicated to what you should and shouldn't do on this wonderful day of martyrdom, forced sacrifice, love and romance.


Recommended Course(s) of Action(s)

Have already made plans prior to the night before, or in more extreme cases, before the day would just be good. 
This is mainly for the guys for various reasons. For starters, which girl out there would want to be the one to plan their valentines day? Somethings just shouldn't need to be said; in fact, some things, if said, would render the occurrence pointless and meaningless.

Purchase your respective partner a present, preferably before the day.
Exchanging gifts is the most publicly enjoyed sport in dating or just general partnership. Whether you hold a secret disgust towards your partner's sense of fashion or perhaps you dislike their old bag or wallet, gift would solve the problem. Gifts, is the most subtle form of communication in a relationship, whereby an invisible statement (mutually agreed upon) is written: you must hereby use the gift presented to you by your partner as an act of love if it will not violate any human rights or cause the user any physical or psychological harm.

Purchase flowers and/or chocolate for the day.

Once again, mainly for the male population. Self-explanatory, just uh...don't buy her flowers that you generally see at a cemetery...especially white or yellow roses.
 

Unrecommended Course(s) of Action(s)

Arrive extremely late to the date.
Extremely late meaning more than 5 minutes. Really, don't do it. Unless you're a female, in which it automatically becomes "ok" because as gentlemen, we're supposed to have chivalry.

Dress sloppy.

My girl actually asked me what she should wear today, and like most girls, she just wanted me to succumb to her desire to dress sloppy. Conversation went like this:

GF: What should I wear tomorrow?
Pui: A dress.
GF: What kind of dress?
Pui: A nice dress.
GF: What about jeans?
Pui: That's not a dress.
GF: And a T-shirt.
Pui: ...
GF: Can I come in my PJs?

Seriously girls, why do you even ask for our opinion?

Give your partner expectations.

Although most would disagree with me, think about it this way. It's much easier to impress someone when they have no expectations at all.

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Of course, the above were only a set of recommended guidelines and unless you're completely at a loss, you should not take any of them with a large degree of seriousness.

In closing, I would like to inform all couples that modern day valentines day is the result of consumerism and giving you an extra day to celebrate would only be beneficial for the restaurants, card stores, gift shop, florists and ultimately the Government which takes up all those taxes so jokes on you (and apparently me too). Raise awareness to the single people out there that there aren't more couples that magically appear on valentines day and also plenty if not more single people around too; so to all those who avoid this day instead of exploiting the weakness in other single people, jokes on you. Lastly, damn you children watching from the side bench and laughing, soon you'll be dragged into this vortex of Valentines Day.

-Pui.x