It usually begins in kindergarten. The weeks leading up to this day of love are laden with pink and red propaganda. Classrooms are decorated with paper hearts and children are instructed to bring a Valentine for everyone, so nobody feels left out. Retailers go all out with their candy and card displays. Jewelers flaunt special Valentine's Day baubles and pop-up internet ads remind you to order roses for your sweetheart.

Boys are conditioned from an early age it's their duty to provide their significant other with the most romantic day ever. With commercial breaks teeming with ads depicting men lovingly handing over diamond pendants and engagement rings, it's quite clear a card simply will not do. After all, "Every kiss begins with Kay."

We women see these very same commercials and get excited.

Will I get roses, or my favorite perfume? OMG! Will he propose?

It doesn't help, either, that for years, our brains have been poisoned by movies like The Notebook, The Vow, and Sleepless in Seattle. Consequently, our expectations of a day filled with nonstop chivalry and romance are raised exponentially. So, when Valentine's Day rolls around, and we don't get wooed exactly the way we fantasized, we are sorely disappointed.

For men in relationships, Valentine's Day cranks up the pressure to grossly overspend on extravagant gifts and/or a romantic dinner at a five star restaurant, or else they're in big trouble. It makes me wonder, do guys jump through hoops for their gals on Valentine's Day because they really feel it? Are their grand, romantic  gestures heartfelt and sincere, or are they simply doing it because they know they'll have to hear about it for the rest of their lives if they fail to come through?

Case in point:

For the last couple of weeks, my good friend has been talking about how Valentine's Day isn't that big a deal. Being that her boyfriend was born and raised in another country, where Valentine's Day does not bear the same significance, she said she wasn't expecting anything and that it was just fine if they didn't celebrate it.

Yesterday, however, she had a major turn around. It really hit her. Turns out, Valentine's Day is a big deal, after all.

"So what if they don't celebrate Valentine's Day in his country?" She ranted. "In this country, it's a big deal. He thinks I'm making it a big deal out of it, but it's not me. Everybody celebrates it!"

Although I was glad my friend was being a bit more truthful by finally admitting celebrating Valentine's Day is important to her, I don't think she was being entirely honest with herself. Valentine's Day is definitely a big deal to her, but truth-be-told, she expects it to be a big deal for her boyfriend as well, and because he doesn't view it the same way, she's pissed, and unless he jumps on the bandwagon in some way, he's gonna pay dearly. 

Sadly, what is ideally meant to be a celebration of love has been reduced to a shallow, consumer-oriented, manufactured misinterpretation of love. Unfortunately, Valentine's Day has become a day fraught with unrealistic expectations, which turns otherwise perfectly sane women, like my friend, into raving lunatics.

What's so happy about that?