Let me first clear up the two main excuses men use to downplay the importance of Valentine's Day, because they are total bullshit.
“It’s a total commercial holiday,” they say.
Well then I guess you won’t mind me completely ignoring you come X-mas time? Every fucking holiday has been swallowed up by consumerism. We live in America—a country built on capitalism. Either rock the Jehovah’s Witness garb or shut the hell up and take part.
“I don’t do romance on a clock," they say. "I celebrate you all year round.”
No, no you don’t. I don’t know ONE girl who has been with a guy that sends random flowers all year, or takes her to a fancy dinner with NO other intentions but to wine and dine his lady. Face it, guys, you are a selfish breed. Valentine’s Day is not your, “set time to celebrate our love.” It’s your time to seek redemption for not doing it at all the other 364 days of the year.
Said boyfriend got a weepy-esque phone call about the matter. We ate a very lovely, albeit mildly forced, home cooked meal by candlelight. I am not saying that guys need to do anything more complex than make dinner reservations and buy a bouquet of flowers. Not at all. I simply ask that you do SOMETHING to prove to your lady friend that you, in fact, feel sort of lucky on the national day of "togetherness," that you are, indeed, with someone special. Celebrate it, damn it. Next year, you might not be so lucky.