Technically we have Valentine's Day in Germany, but no one seems to do anything for it. You won't hear any wives complaining about the cheap present they got or some girlfriend getting pissed off because her boyfriend forgot to make a reservation at Grill Royal. Since living in Berlin, I've had two husbands (German) and one boyfriend (Dutch Indonesian) all of whom I tried to convince it was mandatory to celebrate Valentine's Day with little old American me. Here's how it usually went:"Hey, so today's Valentine's Day."
"Oh yeah. Happy Valentine's Day."
"So? Where's my present?"
"Wait....I was supposed to get you a present??"
"Don't you remember? I already told you about that last year."
"Honey, I can't remember that kind of thing. I'm European."
Each year it was the same: No rare Amaryllis, no Belgian chocolate caramels, no dinner at Der Goldene Hahn, nothing....
After a while I gave up trying to teach these Europeans hounds new tricks because a) it was a lost cause and b) I hate Valentine's Day.
Seriously, the day is just plain stressful. If you are in a relationship there is a lot of pressure to have it be "the perfect day." Even if you and your significant other decide not to celebrate it, it will most likely be from an "anti" stand point and not because you really don't care. And, let's face it, nothing sucks more than being single on Valentine's Day. All those ads for diamonds for that special someone or romantic spa get-aways for two or the tables in any even half way decent restaurant taken, all of them just there to rub it in your face that, yes, you are alone. Grrr....I'm married and yet it makes me pissed off just thinking about it.
For all you disgruntled single ladies out there, here's a song for you, sung by Trude Henne in 1959:
Ich will keine Schokolade, I don't want any chocolate
ich will lieber einen Mann, I'd rather have a man,
ich will einer, der ich küssen I want one who I can kiss
und um die Finger wickeln kann and wrap around my little finger
Valentine's Day, you can take these truffles and shove them! ;)
3 comments:
Too funny!
Valentine's Day is my birthday-so for my birthday every year I get one free day. I don't have to hang out with my family or my hubby AT ALL!
I usually go thrifting or estate sale hopping.
I too, Am sick of Valentine's day-but only because it is my birthday. MY DAY.
Well, I'm glad to see that insidious "holiday" hasn't spread *everywhere* yet! ;) Turks have gone for it in a big way -- they call it Sevgiller Günü (Lovers' Day) and everything was all hearts and ridiculously expensive "romantik" restaurant promotions this month. Even the streetcar on the main boulevard near my house was wrapped in garish pink bows!
@nomandcraftsetc Happy Birthday! That sounds like a really cool way to spend your b-day.
Pretty funny in a nauseating way about all those pink bows in Istanbul. :)
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