Anti - Valentine's Day

My girlfriends and I one year decided that we had had enough of Valentine's Day and all that goes with it. We instituted ANTI - VALENTINE'S DAY, a day that forbid anything and all that was pink or red. Black was the colour of choice and no one dared to wear anything lighter than dark brown. Make up was all black; eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. Hair was also to be suitablely dark, one girl with unfortunate curly red hair had to wear a black wig, her cover up was met with resounding cheers from all that attended our party.

That day we torn around the house and collected anything that had the unfavourable colour of pink or red and threw in into a big green garbage bag that we dragged behind us. Cards, flowers, chocolates and anything with a cherub and / or hearts was to be torn up and fed to the trashbin. We were ruthless, my favorite drink did not survive...

We wrote the names of guys we felt wronged us and burned the bits of paper in a little bonfire. Cheering as the pieces burned and ashes drifted skyward. And of course, men were strictly forbidden, except for one token male that agreed with us on the frivolousness of Valentine's Day. And, eventhough he jumped in, I think he wondered if he'd get out of the house unscathed and unharmed.

We dressed up, danced to music that had could not be in anyway shape or form construed as love songs and had one of the more notable parties of my recollection. All in the good fun of NOT spending a hundred bucks on a meal at a restaurant that would normally on any other day other than Feb. 14th, put you back forty. Or, for NOT buying twenty dollars of chocolate and a dozen roses at exorbitant prices all in the name of the Love.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I hate what Valentine's Day originally to stood for. I love the concept and think that St. Valentine did alot wonderful things. I also love the legends that became associated with his name. Things that should be emulated and repeated, but I do wonder at the sometimes insane amount of money that is spent on a 'holiday.' A day that has lost sight that St. Valentine was a highly regarded Bishop and (as legend has it) married young couples secretly when the Roman Emperor Claudius II placed a ban on Roman soldiers from marrying and just before Valentine was martyred he passed a note to his beloved which read, "From Your Valentine."

I like the concept of passing a note to your beloved saying I love you. I like all those trappings of expressing affection and appreciation for your loved ones. But, I think it would have more meaning if these tokens came on days throughout the year and not just on one day. I don't think you need the expensive gifts that seem to be required on this day. I say if you love, love everyday in all these ways, not just this one day.