Single, newly dating or in a relationship — whatever your status may be — Valentine’s Day isn’t fun for anyone. No matter how much Valentine’s Day means to you while you are in college, once you are out of college and working in the real world the day may mean something different.

V-Day can be the day that sparks the deciding question: “Where is this going?” For singles, the day is a reminder of being single. And especially for guys, V-Day can be a waste of money.
“Guys don’t care about Valentine’s Day like girls do,” says FAU alumnus Peter Sharas, offering a single man’s perspective. “We do whatever it takes to make the girl happy. But guys don’t want gifts and chocolates; we want lingerie.”

Then there are the single guys who think V-Day is simply a waste of time.
“Valentine’s Day is a marketing campaign for Hallmark to sell more cards,” says Dale Collins, 53, of Fort Lauderdale. “I’m not buying into it.”

Collins says he doesn’t want the complications of having a girlfriend and is relieved he doesn’t have to please anyone on V-Day.

The day can also be a relationship deal breaker. Loan Tran, a recently graduated FAU accounting major, has been in a committed relationship for six months and views V-Day as an important holiday on which she expects her boyfriend to do something special for her.
“As of now, we don’t have any plans, but if he didn’t do anything for me, I wouldn’t want anything to do with him,” Tran says.

While Tran expects to celebrate V-Day with her boyfriend, not every couple feels the need to celebrate the day. In fact, I spoke to a couple that does not celebrate Valentine’s Day. They avoided any V-Day complications by coming to an understanding: We do not celebrate V-Day.

Russ Saunders, 30, and Alicia Cannizzo, 33, both of Fort Lauderdale, have been together for three years now but have never celebrated V-Day.
“I’m not going to do anything out of the ordinary because it’s that day,” states Saunders.
Cannizzo agrees, “I don’t celebrate it because it seems like every other day. I don’t care about a designated day to be romantic with someone.”
“I think you should show [every day] that you think the person is special,” explains Saunders.

Over-planning and stressing out over what to buy and where to go can take the fun out of the so-called special day. It’s no longer fun when the day becomes an obligation to make someone else happy. “I appreciate romantic gestures more when it’s spontaneous,” Cannizzo adds.

Then again, there are guys out there who feel Valentine’s Day is special, like Ryan Roberts, 25, of New Smyrna Beach, FL.
“It’s a super important day to me, single or not,” says Roberts, who is currently seeking that special someone. “Sincerity can be measured. To me, I celebrate the relationship, and the day just gives me an even better reason to do so.”

In the event that your significant other does nothing for you, and you don’t have an understanding like Saunders and Cannizzo, you may get the impression that your partner isn’t interested in you.

But it’s also possible that V-Day can turn a budding romance into a relationship.
Two years ago for Valentine’s Day, I went out with a guy whom I was newly dating. We met up at a local diner. I ordered ice cream, and he had the spinach dip. It was our third date, and we were both nervous.

He mentioned that the spinach dip tasted funny but continued to eat it anyway. Shortly after, we left to go take a walk on the beach. On the way there, my date turned to me and said, “I feel sick.”

He pulled over on the side of the road, vomited up the spinach dip, turned bright red in utter embarrassment, and we had to call it a night. A few hours later, he called to tell me he was sorry and that he would make it up to me another time. I understood.
“Is the fire still burning between us?” he asked me.
“I think the fire is burning in your stomach,” I responded jokingly.

Our V-Day date gone wrong gave us a good laugh and strengthened our relationship. The date wasn’t romantic, but it was the most memorable Valentine’s Day I have yet experienced.