As we approach the middle of February, John Paul Young’s lyrics ‘love is in the air’ might be a fitting soundtrack to some as Valentine’s day fast approaches. To the single people out there however, the day of romance may look like a hyped and tacky non-holiday forced on us by chocolatiers and custom card-makers.

To the lonely hearts out there…
If the big day usually consists of eating a tub (or two) of ice cream, there’s good news this year! Valentine’s day falls on a Sunday this time around, so at least you can pig out and forget all about it in the comfort of your own bed. But seriously, if you feel even the tiniest iota of sadness when the V day comes around, don’t be! There are 365 days in the year and what difference does it make if you’re single for just this one? It’s not even a public holiday in any country, so it can’t be that important. Besides, before Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem in the 14th century about Saint Valentine were no romantic links with that particular day at all.

What to do if you’ve left it late…
If your partner thinks that Valentine’s day is the be all and end all of a relationship, there’s probably something wrong there anyway. That said, it is a time for many to show their affections for their other half by doing something special, whether that’s buying chocolate or jewellery or getting a baby to dress up as cupid and shoot them with an arrow (please don’t do that last one). It is important to know how much Valentines actually means to your partner, sometimes acknowledging them with a simple ‘I love you’ is all that is needed, whereas others might express it in another way. Remember, it’s all subjective to your individual relationships –don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, not even me…oh too late.

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