If your birthday falls on 14 February, you’re in a tight spot. This day is already taken – by excessively enamoured fans of kitsch and/or consumerism drivers.
Looking back at the last 40 years, if I had one euro for every «Your birthday’s on Valentine’s Day?! How cute!» I wouldn’t be writing this article. You best believe, I’d be lounging around on the beach of my private island instead. Being born on 14 February is a real nightmare. Here are my personal top five annoyances on the topic of «B-Day vs. V-Day».
Only twice did I have the incredibly intelligent idea on my birthday to go out for dinner with friends. We never really made it past the idea stage; on Valentine’s Day, most restaurants are fully booked weeks in advance. If you’re lucky enough to snag a table, you’ll probably be stuck choosing between the «Lovebird Menu» and the «Lovebird Menu Supreme». And chances are you’ll find heart-shaped balloons hanging from the ceiling. If that’s what you’re into, go for it. But it’s just too much for me.
Until I turned 18, I’d always got a bouquet of roses from my mum for my birthday. Each year, she’d gift me one more than last – for each year of my life. A beautiful and loving gesture that, unfortunately, came to an abrupt end. Why? The bouquet became too expensive for my mum, which I can understand. On average, cut flowers are 7.7 per cent more expensive on Valentine’s Day than throughout the rest of the year. The Federal Statistical Office already recognised this in 2016, as reported by the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper (article in German). By now, inflation is likely to be even higher.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge anyone the joy of love. Anyone who’s been invited on a romantic Valentine’s Day date should definitely go and enjoy the evening with a clear conscience. I just find it a shame that I can’t invite these people to my birthday shindig if I hold in on 14 February. On the other hand, I suppose there’s no better excuse to celebrate more than once – on the actual day, alone, and then a few days later with all my friends.
You probably know where Valentine’s Day got its name. If not, you can read about it in this article written by my boss, Martin. But did you know that Valentine’s Day was considered unlucky up until as late as the 19th century? The 14th of February is Judas’ birthday – you know, the biblical traitor. At the time, the superstition that children born on 14 February don’t grow old was a commonplace in northern Germany, Bohemia and Silesia. Here’s to hoping this notion is a thing of the past. Gulp.
After we’d already been together for a few years, my ex complained to me that he never got anything on Valentine’s Day and thought that was dumb. Oh and, «The world doesn’t revolve around you on 14 February, Anika.» That got me thinking. Doesn’t my birthday trump Valentine’s Day – analogue to how the king trumps the queen in a game of cards? I’d certainly assumed as much until that point. Or did my partner simply feel neglected in general? In any case, we were a bit short of domestic bliss ... and I’m probably not the only birthday girl to feel that way in the middle of February.
How do you feel about Valentine's Day?
The competition has ended.
If enough people pipe up who also suffer from their 14-of-February birthday, I’d seriously consider starting a support group.
Header image: Marah Bashir/Unsplash
As a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.