Once a year, the spirit of Valentine’s Day gets thrown up on everything in town. Everything becomes pink and heart-shaped. Brands suddenly decide their packaging needs to be sprinkled with hearts. Products you’d expect to find unaffected become saturated with, you guessed it, pink and red.
For many reasons, Valentine’s Day isn’t for everyone. It becomes resented because students often don’t have someone to celebrate it with. Others have qualms ranging from a distaste for the commercialism, to anger at being dictated at.
And it seems the very things that make someone feel bitter challenge others to rise to the occasion.
Take for example Valentine’s Day gift giving, for some people it’s the most stressful part of the day. However, there are plenty of people who take gift-giving very, very seriously.
The biggest bouquet of flowers is one of the most obvious gifts, but some people feel their Valentine deserves more than flowers. However, when it’s more than flowers, it can get stressful.
There are quite a lot of things to take into consideration when finding that perfect gift for that oh-so-special someone. Is it the right color? The right size? Do they even like that kind of chocolate? Everything down to the card you pick is crucial to having a great gift for your partner.
Unfortunately, getting that gift isn’t the most stressful thing about Feb. 14. Weeks before this annual holiday, restaurants scramble to get their fixed menus together and wrangle as many staff together as possible.
Though staying in and cooking your Valentine a meal sounds sweeter and cheaper, most decide to go a different route. On this cursed day for restaurant staff, customers flock to the nearest Cheesecake Factory and wait. And wait. And wait! Getting into a restaurant on Valentine’s Day is almost impossible, especially without a reservation.
Whether you’re spending the holiday at an overly-packed, overly-priced restaurant with a bottle of fancy wine or partying with your best friends, getting that reservation as far in advance as possible is the way to go on Valentine’s Day. So, no, it’s not too soon.
However, making that reservation can be pretty hard, and sometimes, really easy to forget about. With the stressors of normal everyday life, squeezing in a phone call to your favorite bistro can make the day even more stressful.
When planning a romantic night with your partner on this special night, it’s probably best to keep an open mind and have a long list of backup restaurants.
Now that I’ve stressed you out. Let’s me real: The No. 1 thing to keep in mind this Valentine’s Day is to relax and enjoy your time with the people you love. This holiday is supposed to be about love and happiness. Even if you can’t stand the holiday, hang out with your friends and don’t forget the chocolate!