Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is here to stay.

In today’s world, the occasion provokes as much cynicism as gushing emotion, but the 14th of February is actually a day of weighty historical substance that includes Christian martyrs, a lady named Ester Howland and the Al Capone-driven Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.

There are two Christian martyrs who apparently ‘gave birth’ to Valentine’s Day: Valentine of Rome (martyred February 14th, AD 269) and Valentine of Terni (martyred February 14th, AD 197), although it’s a matter of debate as to precisely whom (if indeed either) supplied the day with its romantic connotations.

Romantic connections probably came later courtesy of legend, which has it that Valentine (an amalgamation of the two) was a Priest imprisoned for illegally officiating wedding services. On the day of his execution, he wrote a final love letter to his sweetheart (possibly the jailors daughter), signing it ‘Your Valentine’.

Nowadays, though, such thoughts are generally forgotten in the Hallmark fluff of chocolate hearts and giant musical cards. But how to survive worshipping the Vday (or, equally, painfully extracting its existence from your mind) in these times of economic gloom? Here’s our credit-crunch guide to get you through the day…

One for the Lovers

The Couples…

Increasingly, Valentine’s Day has become a national (if not international) holiday, with a long Valentine weekend comprising of romantic getaways in an idyllic city. Let’s say you want to enjoy snow in Reykjavik, or Shakespeare in Verona (or, for that matter, hit any of the 10 classic romantic destinations) but arent’s quite up for selling one of your kidneys to pay for it.

With your bank balance in mind, such romantic weekends can still be on the cards – as long as you plan accordingly. First off, book a double room in a hostel (much cheaper than hotels, and with flashpacking and the like taking hold, often cozier too) and then try one or more of the following…

- Make your own romantic dinner. Jamie Oliver (yes, we know he’s headbuttingly annoying) has a good line in five pound meals.
- Deck your room out with candles and flowers. If you’re feeling really budget-minded, you could always pick the flowers yourselves.
- Rent a movie and watch it in the TV room instead of heading out (or on your laptop, if you’re that way inclined). (Ed. – Note to men: there are times when you have to bite your lip and sit through ‘You’ve Got Mail.’ This is one of them. Sorry.)
- Get raunchy between the sheets. It’s not for us to say too much on this one, but remember: you’ll probably never see the hostel workers again.
- Use protection. Children are much more expensive than a weekend away.For more cheap but passionate ideas, take a look at these sites:
10 ways to have an unforgettable evening
Myvalentinesblog.com
Valentinesdayworldwide.blogspot.com

And the Singles…

As long as you’re up for the fun, there are few better days to be backpacking as a singleton than Valentine’s Day. Just think: all those likeminded travelers miles away from home, looking for love just because it’s the 14th of February… And as you’ve never met them before, you can even save a few quid on Valentine’s gifts!

Here’s a few tips on how to pull in a hostel on the ’special day’:

- Try to look good. We know traveling takes its toll, but a mere ten minutes spent with some water and a sponge will make all the difference. Trust us on this one.
- Pick a hostel with a large kitchen, and cook a meal for everyone (you could even use heart-shaped pasta if you’re so-inclined). You know the old saying; there’s no better way to someone’s heart than through their stomach.
- Use the chat-up line “how do you say ‘I love you’ in your language”. Priceless. (And be sure to keep us posted on the results of this one – Ed.)
- Don’t get dribblingly drunk. It’s just not romantic.
- Be prepared for the difficult ‘canoodling moment’. You’ve met someone you like, but you’re both staying in dorms. What do you do? We’ll leave this one up to you…

For more tips, hints and helpful asides (not to mention the odd dodgy chat up line), have a look at:
Online-love-guru.blogspot.com
Valentine’s Day survival guide

And Tips for the Haters!

The Couples…
Want a reason to avoid celebrating with your current squeeze? Here’s three ready-made excuses that don’t dare mention anything as blindingly obvious as the credit-crunch:
1. Due to your sensitive nature (read: artsy, intriguing and principled) you simply can’t endorse a celebration that condones the destruction of our planet.
2. Due to the same sensitive nature, you find it hard to celebrate on a day that has seen so much blood-shed and turmoil. Then talk about how, in 1929, the Valentine’s Day myth took on an altogether sinister air, with Al Capone orchestrating the assassination of seven rival gang members in prohibition-era Chicago.
3. Quite simply, you have better plans.

The Singles…

For all you anti-Valentine singles (you certainly won’t be alone in that sense, at least), there are a few pretty juicy options available. So disown Valentine’s Day without missing out on the fun…
- Go to an Anti-Valentine’s party. You don’t have to be nice to people, you don’t have to look good, and you can get blabberingly drunk. Awesome. Strictly no canoodling, though…
- Celebrate St. Skeletor’s day. Held on the 15th of Feb, this is the absolute antithesis of the day before, with the main aims including ‘the destruction of all lurrve’ and ‘the destruction of people with boyfriend or girlfriends.’
- If you want to pursue the idea of destroying those with boyfriends or girlfriends, travel to India. Conservative social factions have been known to take to the streets on the 14th and attack anyone seen to be openly enjoying the physicality of their loved one.
- Stay at your hostel, watch a movie that isn’t You’ve Got Mail, and read all the Valentine’s Day disaster stories you can find.

Enjoy! JC

Surviving Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a fine art, for lovers and haters alike. Do you have any dating disasters from the big day? Or perhaps a heart-warming story to convert the cynics? Either way, let us know!