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Someone once told me that Valentine’s Day is “such a girl holiday.” I’m on the fence about this. I mean, a bunch of single gals getting together on V-day: fun. A group of guys getting together on V-Day: a little off. And when you think about the Valentine’s Day commercials, you’re most likely to see something about flowers, chocolates, jewelry, etc. Once again, girl things.
But then again, I know lots of guys who love Valentine’s Day and who are almost just as hopelessly romantic as their lady. So to honor the men this Valentine’s Day, we’ve gathered our own men’s perspectives on the day. Shannon and TJ, in a marriage pushing 5 years, and my boyfriend, Michael and I, on the newer side of the relationship boat both contributed their honest responses to these four questions to expose the truth about Valentine’s Day: from his perspective.
What are your general thoughts on Valentine’s Day?
TJ: I enjoy Valentines day and and look forward to it every year. Like Cinco de Mayo and St.Patty’s day, it gives Americans another reason to celebrate. However, instead of excessive Margaritas or Irish Car Bomb drinking (varies by couple), it allows those in relationships to celebrate the love they have for each other. It can also be a holiday in which the object of your affection is…you! I feel that no matter where you are in your life, Valentine’s day should be a reason to to celebrate the things, people and places you love. For Shannon and me, it marks the anniversary of when we started dating so it has an extra special place in my heart.
Michael: I enjoy Valentine’s Day and think it’s great to have a day specifically set aside to focus on your significant other and to enjoy each other. I feel like in a successful relationship the mindset of Valentine’s Day should always be there no matter what day it is, but as life gets in the way and other interests come and go, it’s nice to have this day to remind us of how lucky we are to have each other.
What is the ideal Valentine’s Day Date?
TJ: If Shannon were planning this for me, my ideal date would probably be a night out in Vegas. You have everything at your fingertips and a Vegas night can take any direction you want. A great dinner and a fun night with the woman I love in Vegas would be more than ideal for me.
Michael: The ideal V-Day date would either be cooking dinner together and having a romantic evening at home just the two of us, or finding a special restaurant that we’ve always wanted to go to but haven’t done yet. If it’s a restaurant I usually prefer to celebrate the day early since restaurants are usually absolutely packed on Valentine’s Day night and it almost takes the fun out of the night.
What is the best Valentine’s Day gift?
TJ: As adults, we spend most of our time away from the people we love. Unfortunately, there is a little thing called work that consumes the majority of our time. With that in mind, the best gift I can think of is a night, weekend, or week away with my boo. It’s in those instances that all of the routines of daily life go away. When I am able to reconnect with Shannon. We are also able to spend 100% of our time together on our getaways. These times together not only create lasting memories, but motivate us to work hard to be able to spend this time together. This may sound corny, but while a pair of shoes or shirt may be a nice Valentine’s day gift, and last for a long time, the memories of a fun weekend together will last forever. I still to this day remember vividly our first trip to Palm Springs together…and that was almost 10 years ago (which has subsequently lasted longer than the pair of sunglasses Shannon purchased for me on our first Valentine’s day together).
Michael: Something sentimental. I would find something that either has special meaning meaning between the two of us or something that is an inside joke between us or something along those lines.
(Check out below for some purchase-able items that the guys listed as “other” gift ideas)
What are some things to avoid on Valentine’s Day?
TJ: People show their affection in different ways and therefore, I don’t think anything should be off limits. Some people like big, over the top expressions of love. Others prefer a more subtle, low-key approach. At the end of the day, I don’t think any man or woman would be upset by their partner going through great lengths (and perhaps great expense) to show their love. Now saying that, I know that Shannon personally is not a huge fan of public displays of affection and would probably cry if I ever asked her to marry me in front of a stadium full of baseball fans or tried to get an extra long smooch on the kiss cam….so with that said, go over the top at you own risk!
Michael: Anything that takes away from the day: too-crowded restaurants, boxes of chocolates, cheesy Hallmark cards (if I’m going to give her a card I’m going to make it a personalized one I made myself). I feel those are too cliche. If you are going to do those, I would couple them with something else.
What do your men think about Valentine’s Day??
Check out Mike and TJ’s Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
