Valentine’s Day: A Checklist

It’s Valentine’s Day, a day that is reported to have originated in honor of Saint Valentine, a priest who, against church doctrine, married couples--a kind of romantic martyr. Unfortunately, this is mostly an old wives’ tale that surfaced in the fourteenth century and has many varied sources. Some authorities even say that it was popularized to supersede a pagan holiday, as that is how most Christian holidays have arisen.

I can honestly say that I’ve become a skeptic regarding this holiday and don’t really put too much value in it anymore. My column last week may have been more on track for the traditional trappings of the day, but somewhere over the last week my own cynical bent reemerged, not just because of the commerciality of it (which doesn’t help), but because I’ve worked in the floral industry, cleaning over 400 roses a year, and in the service industry behind the scenes of those romantic meals watching people sit through said meals in uncomfortable silence, again and again.

To be fair, there are other options. I, personally, spent one Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend at the rodeo drinking tequila and eating Tex-Mex. Another time, when I was single, I spent the night watching bad horror flicks with girlfriends eating a gigantic bowl of popcorn and drinking a couple bottles of wine. Both evenings were thoroughly enjoyable. The point is, you don’t have to buy into the whole greeting card scenario.

Here are some options for those of us who:

A. Don’t buy into the holiday anymore;

B. Are single and cynical; or

C. Are just too tired to attempt any pretense of romance.

1. Have a fiesta and drink margaritas---all you need is some blue agave tequila, limes, salt, and Cointreau for the margaritas and your basic chips, salsa and guacamole.

2.  Go to a play or attend some other cultural event (the Upfront Gallery’s Erotic Art show should be interesting).

3. Have a few friends over and do your own wine tasting of some of the great wines coming out of Washington State right now.

4. Go out dancing--exercise releases endorphins and makes you feel as good as a glass or two of wine, and you burn calories rather than worrying about driving later.

5. Have your own John Hughes/Absolutely Fabulous/Action/80s film festival complete with your favorite junk food and beverage of choice. If you’re feeling especially snarky, you could even order a heart-shaped pizza (as it seems everyone in town is selling them this year).

6. Go sledding or just get outdoors. The weather is supposed improve and it should be a great release for some of that cabin fever that’s been building up.

7. And if none of these ideas appeals to you, just take a night off and turn off all electronic devices and relax. That means-no telephones, regular or cell, no computers, no television, no Ipods, etc. It’s weird at first, but once you get used to it, the feeling is calming.

And if all else fails, there should be any number of sappy movies out there to take your sweetheart to (or action or horror flicks that tend to raise the pulse rate and lead to closer physical contact, if that’s your intent). As always, be safe and enjoy.