Singles' Awareness

I really do hate Valentine's Day.

This is the first year (maybe ever) that I've been in a relationship on Valentine's Day. Every year I wear black to mark this holiday because I think it's the most stupid way to get people to buy stuff for each other. It's purely commercial and completely "un-special."

Wiki says: Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.

Approximately one billion Valentines are sent every year. I find this absolutely ridiculous, even though I buy my fair share of candy and Valentines to send out every year.

There is so much pressure put on couples on this one day to make it so special. If it's not special then it's a complete disaster and makes the relationship awkward for a couple of days.

Here's something else that really ticked me off today:
My good friend, Shannon, and her boyfriend, Earl, have been dating a couple years. They live in separate cities as they are both still in college. For Valentine's Day, Earl is going to drive up to visit Shannon and they planned to go out to dinner at a local hotspot--The Melting Pot. Shannon made the reservation a month in advance, and was presented with a 4:30pm reservation. She decided to book the 13th instead because they did not want to eat so early. Today when she called to confirm their reservation, the restaurant had no record of it. They offered her an 11pm reservation to try and make up for it.

First off--it's so ridiculous that they were so booked up a month ago. Second off--11pm? Really? Why are you still open at 11pm? This holiday would be so much better if everyone would stay home, bum around in some sweat pants, and catch up with what's on their DVRs.