Anti-Valentine’s Day special: I promise to…not to keep that promise

Valentine’s Day

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that today is Valentine’s Day. How could you miss it? Being with that special someone should give you butterflies in your stomach, but on this day it’s now all about the pounds in your wallet. When it comes to romance today, there’s nothing that money can’t buy.

Romance

Let’s start with a bit of a background on romance. You all know the story: Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. Sound familiar? If not, how about this one? Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall in love, get married and then they split up. Whatever story you’re familiar with, Valentine’s Day is known worldwide and this day will always be celebrated …or detested.

The Anti-Valentine

This is for all those people out there who do not have a loved one or ‘a Valentine’ to speak of. There’s always this constant pressure of spending money and being romantic with someone on this day and for that reason, I want to point out the 5 most broken romance promises (in no particular order):

1. I promise to…always help do the housework This one is mainly for the men but you can guarantee that this promise will only last for a week and then it is back to watching football. This is certainly a promise to keep a partner happy for the short-term.
2. I promise I’ll…be there whenever you need me Or in other words, unless something more important needs to be done. When you’re free, this promise is true. When you’re not (like going to the pub), who wants to be interrupted?
3. I promise to…always be faithful Statistically, the top reason why people break up is because of someone else. It is a big world out there and who knows if you have met the only person who is right for you – physically and emotionally.
4. I’ll always…love you. Not only is this one of the most common promises, but also the most used phrase in a relationship. You’ll always have unconditional love for your partner…until you stop loving them, for one reason or another.
5. Will you…marry me? This question comes together with a promise, and Valentine’s Day is the most popular day for this to be said. 59% of couples who get engaged on Valentine’s Day split up before they actually have their wedding.

True Love

You can argue that promises are made to broken. However, if you do have a crush on someone, don’t leave it until this day to do something about it and waste your money. Be spontaneous. Celebrate the love every day. Remember, romance is for life not just for Valentine’s Day!

Vocabulary:

1. To have butterflies in your stomach / somebody gives you butterflies in your stomach is when you are excited or nervous and get that feeling in your stomach.
2. To fall in love is that moment when you realise somebody is very special to you.
3. To live happily ever after is what happens in films and fairy tales where happy couples are together forever.
4. To split up or to break up is when a relationship finishes and the couple separate.
5. To detest is to really hate something or somebody.
6. A loved one or a Valentine is the name for the person you love, especially on Valentine’s Day.
7. To be faithful is when you are loyal and true and don’t sleep with other people when you have a boyfriend/girlfriend.
8. Unconditional love is also very popular in the stories and is when you love someone 100% no matter what happens.
9. To get engaged is when you ask somebody to marry you. If they say yes, you are engaged.
10. To have a crush on someone is when you are attracted to somebody and like them in that special way.