Valentine’s Day Traditions: Celebrate Marriage
Girls’ Choice
Do you dread Valentine’s Day or look forward to it? Do you view it as one of the best days of the year, or is it just another day that has been corrupted by consumerism? Before I married The Donkey, my best Valentine’s Day memories were all from elementary school; my school’s tradition was a morning at the skating rink, lunch at McDonalds, and the afternoon exchanging/opening Valentine’s cards. The skating trip was always a highlight of the year; the most anticipated moment came when the DJ announced the “Girls’ Choice” song. This would be the only 3-5 minutes out of each year that I would hold hands with a boy–even if we did spend the rest of the year calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend.
Now the Donkey and I have developed our own Valentine’s Day traditions… The first few years consisted of him asking, “So… what am I supposed to do for you tomorrow (Valentine’s Day)?”, and me snapping, “You aren’t supposed to ask about it, you’re just supposed to do it!” It took me too many years to realize that the poor guy needed a bit more direction than that, but we finally started communicating and planning the day together. We would negotiate things like where we would go and whether or not we should buy presents. I was worried that planning ahead would take the fun and surprise out of it all, but it sure beats the “fun” and “surprise” of no restaurant reservations being made, and no gifts being exchanged.
Our newest tradition started a couple years ago, when someone suggested we attend a marriage seminar (can’t imagine why anyone would think we needed marriage education, right?). It turns out a lot of communities host marriage celebrations and conferences the week of Valentine’s Day. We have enjoyed banquet dinners, local entertainment acts, and expert lectures–where of course we spend most of the time nudging each other, making sure the important points are being understood and committed to memory.
It might not be “Girls’ Choice” at the skating rink, or a perforated Transformers card signed by my “boyfriend,” but attending marriage celebration night is a tradition I hope we continue.
What are your Valentine’s Day traditions? Share an idea in the comments…
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Looking for a marriage event in your community or other marriage education resources? See SmartMarriages.com, Marriage Week USA
One Response to “Valentine’s Day Traditions: Celebrate Marriage”
Richard and I are a bit boring here I guess. We love to do the decorations and have a fun meal with the kids – all red foods maybe or something. But when it comes to just he and I, we usually just order take out and sit on the floor watching TV while we eat. It’s not much – but we like it.
By Nancy Sabina on Feb 9, 2009