This year marks our 19th Valentine’s Day as a couple. But my husband and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day.
I admittedly live in a fantasy Hallmark-card world where, when February rolls around, I love that everything is pretty, pink, sparkly, and heart-shaped. Home Goods displays woo me, and I add a new item to our decor.
Who wouldn’t want their dream man to whisk them away on a Valentine’s Day celebration? But that’s just not us. In the first couple of years of dating, we ritualistically celebrated, but that ended when we started celebrating “us” instead of the day.
We celebrate January 26. It is the day in 2007 that we made things official as a couple. We don’t worry about busy restaurants, prix fixe menus, our babysitter having other plans, or overpriced flowers.
Who gets to be my Valentine then? It’s my littles, even though they’re not so little. I attend their “Favorite Grownup” dance, write messages on their door each day leading up to the 14th, make them special meals, and leave them little treats. In previous years, I would look for local Valentine’s Day events to attend as a family.
Here are some events that I recommend attending this year.
Valentine’s Day at The Beardsley Zoo
Sweetheart Ball at The Newtown Community Center
Sweetheart Ball at Stepping Stones
Valentine’s Day Tea at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary
Wild About Love: Valentine’s Day Adventure at the Woodcock Nature Center
FREE Family Sweetheart Day February 13, 12-2 p.m. at the Ridgefield Recreation Center
As for my real date, my husband, in his words, loves and appreciates me every day. That’s all the Valentine’s Day celebration I’ll ever need.
