Like most men, I have a love-hate relationship with Valentine's Day. I don't mind expressing my love for the girl I'm with, but it seems a little unnatural to have to be told to do it on a certain day.
That's why at first I was excited at first to read that Uzbekistan has banned the holiday this year. The move comes after years of people there getting irritated with its observance. One newspaper even said it is organzied by "forces with evil goals bent on putting an end to national values."
Single people rejoice! Right?
But the more I think about it, the more I think a ban on Valentine's Day is a bad idea. From the mud-slinging campaigns to the obnoxious judging on reality shows, maybe we do need a day where we're guaranteed to show each other a little love. Think about it, we set aside certain days to recognize other things ... birthdays, anniversaries, veterans, mothers, fathers, sobriety... so why not a day dedicated for love?
It doesn't mean that we have to only celebrate that day. Everyone likes surprises, so giving your special someone a card on a random Tuesday will probably earn you major Brownie points. But the the truth is that many of us, unitentionally, take the people we're with for granted. And as forced as Valentine's Day may be, at least it gives us a day to remember the one's we love the most.
If you still struggle with the idea of paying inflated prices on everything from roses to dinner, you could always delay your celebration. By celebrating February 15th or 16th, you may have na easier time getting a reservation and scoring major discounts on the leftover Valentine's stuff.
But if you still can't bare to be part of the Valentine's Day system ... you can always move to Uzbekistan.
