KAMPALA – It is high time we put a pose on the “Miss Curvy” beauty pageant that has been the talk of town in the past days. Today is Valentine’s Day; the day is annually celebrated all over the world although it is not a public holiday.
Valentine’s Day, also known as Saint Valentine’s Day or the feast of Saint Valentines in some parts of the world like Rome is a romantic day originating from the West. In some parts of the world, it is a Christian feast day honouring an early saint named Valentine. It is in recent years that the day has been turned into a commercial celebration of romantic love in many countries, Uganda inclusive. It is a time to celebrate love, friendships and admirations.
Traditionally, people send their loved ones cards or love notes, poems expressing their love for them, a rose or a bunch of roses, chocolates, candy and crown the day with an outing.
Elizabeth Namakolo, a businesswoman in Mukono says Valentine’s Day has always been like any other day for her. She wakes up and goes to work but respects the day enough to wear the theme colours – red and black.
Whatever your choice, celebrate love.
Here are some of the ways you can go through the day without losing your mind:
Come up with some Do It Yourself (DIY) ideas for instance cakes or cookies for those who love baking or you could hire a professional for that day to guide you in the kitchen. This is the best time to do it or if your loved one loves pastries you can make them some in different shapes like heart shapes with words that express your love for them. You can even do delivery at work. If you are patient enough you can serve these as dessert after you have had your delightful dinner at home to seal off the great evening.
Making reservations to a fancy restaurant may seem to be the usual for some couples, how about this time you cook at home, for there is nothing as romantic as a guy who can cook. Plan for a picnic in nature or a special home-cooked meal; start by making her breakfast in bed, cook their favourite meal, and add some colour to the tray by putting some well-blended juice and a rose flower. This will leave her wanting more.
Prepare dinner in the comfort of your home, set a battle for two with those nice scented candles, wine not forgetting the smooth jazz in the background. Spend the rest of the evening talking about your day and how much each one of you enjoys the other’s company.
You could book a room for two at a luxury hotel in a beautiful location. This is best for the married couples since they could be having children at home. The time away allows the couple to get away from all the noise and enjoy some quality time together. You could spend time doing the things you loved doing together before you got married to recapture your youth days. You could get a couple’s massage at the hotel’s spa, go to the gym together.
Marriage proposal
What a perfect way of showing love – topping it up with commitment. You might have always wondered when the perfect time will be to pop the question and there is no better time like today. You could ideally ask the waiter or waitress to serve your girlfriend the ring as a meal or the ring to accompany the dessert as it is done in those love movies with the words “Will You Marry Me?” and watch how she will scream in the room or cry like a child.
For those crazy couples who love adventure, this is the day to kick off some item on your bucket list. Instead of doing Valentine’s Day traditions, plan a fun day activity to experience something new and exciting together. Now is the time to be creative. Take time and plan a fun and bold adventure, find out from friends what activity your girl/boyfriend has always wanted to do in his/her life and do it together on that day, for example, zip lining – this is like flying though in a fast way viewing the earth from a bird’s perspective.
Plan for a movie date; after such a tiring day you could catch a movie that is showing or to cut costs you could plan the movie date at your home. All you need to do is select a good movie that you know both of you will like, shop for snacks like popcorn, chips and drinks. Grab some cosy blankets and enjoy the evening. Make sure the sitting room is well set and tidy enough with and ambiance communicating Valentine’s Day.
To the singletons you too can celebrate the day in the most fun way. You could treat yourself to a spa or have a bubble bath. Celebrate this wonderful experience with a glass of champagne. Celebrate being hot and single.
