I think the 14th of February is probably be the most dreaded day of the year for couples all over the world. Whether you think Valentine's Day is a commercial hype, a romantic opportunity or both, your relationship will be put to the test. Personally, I'm of the commercial-hype-camp and even though I know how difficult it can be to find my boyfriend a personal gift that doesn't give off the wrong message, I can't help but intrepret his present as an expression of his feelings for me.
Because I think it's nigh impossible to make a top 5 of good gifts, I've decided to prepare this year's Valentine's Day with a list of presents to steer clear from if you value your relationship. Over the last 16 or so Valentine's Days, I've been disappointed many a time but I've made some terrible mistakes myself as well. It doesn't take a genius to see that the top 5 of presents you shouldn't even think of giving your sweetheart is exactly the same as the top 5 of gifts you don't want to receive. So here it goes:
1. Nothing. The worst mistake you can make is not giving your loved one a gift at all. Even if you've discussed the matter and you both agreed that the whole Valentine's Day thing is a capitalist trick to sell corny cards, disgusting sweets and expensive flowers, you can't deny that you'll feel a slight pang of disappointment when your honey seems to have forgotten about you while the whole world is celebrating love. And you bet your partner will feel the same way! So, even if you know your lover is really opposed against the idea, it's better to come up with a present that will make him or her laugh than doing nothing at all.
2. Sponges, washing powder, cleaning liquids... Giving your partner practical presents is not a nice way of telling him or her to do more household chores.
3. Tasteless jewellery. Just because it's gold, doesn't make that 14-carat ring from the home shopping channel pretty. The main reason why Valentine's Day has a bad name is that many lovers are tricked into splurging on jewellery that they wouldn't even want their darling to wear, simply because they think it's romantic to buy someone a gold necklace or cufflinks. If you've been a victim of this misconception, comfort yourself with the idea that you can get
cash for gold, silver and platina gifts so you can buy yourself something nice instead. As far as I know, Monsterpriceforgold.com pays the best price on the web.
4. Cheap wine. Bear in mind that Valentine's gifts are are meant to be an expression of your love. If you really want to give your honey a headache in the morning, how much do you really care about him or her? Not all expressions of affection have to revolve around money, but when it comes to wine, going for the cheap option will probably end in disaster.
5. Coupons for a homemade dinner, massage or lap dance. None of the lucky chaps that once received one of my coupons ever used it. I'm trying to imagine what would have happened if they pulled the coupon out of their pocket during a nasty argument... And to be honest, that's the only time they would want to use it, isn't it?