Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.
I hope you guys had someone to give a Valentine to, and I hope you gals all got one.
I got my wife a chocolate assortment. She said, “But I didn’t get anything for you.” I told her that’s not how it works. On this holiday guys give, girls receive. It’s a nice way of reminding us to appreciate you more, and of reminding you that we really do – in our fashion.
It’s a new custom imported from the West in Poland so she’s not very familiar with it. I had a male student once who said, “It is not a traditional Polish holiday so I don’t celebrate it.” I told him, “Get used to it. The ladies like it so it’ll become traditional in fairly short order. If you don’t like it because it’s an American commercial creation, I think it’s actually Dutch.”
Speaking of commercializing a holiday, my wife told me she’d rather have chocolate than jewelry. I explained to her that buying expensive jewelry for a Valentine was not an authentic American custom. “You wouldn’t get that from the TV commercials” she said.
Call me old fashioned, but a man buying expensive jewelry for a woman not his wife just reminds me of those old miniseries on Jennie Randolph Churchill, Prince Edward and Lily Langtry. Giving expensive jewelry presents was how European aristocrats compensated the ladies whose favors they were privileged to enjoy, without treating them like streetwalkers.
Steve’s important life skills tip: Guys, if you and your Valentine have a son, coach him to bring in the candy and/or flowers and say, “Happy Valentine’s Day Mommy.”
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