By Lexy Perez

Arts and Entertainment Assistant 

Attention to all you hopeless romantics, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Whether you’re in a relationship or choosing to dub that Saturday as “Single Awareness Day,” it’s the one day that people tend to stress over more than Christmas.

This holiday has a reputation in which extravagant surprises take place, marathons of sappy love movies air on television and love songs to set the mood play on repeat. I don’t know about you, but it never fails to bring out every PDA-centered couple to surround every inch of outside civilization. (Note: Love is a beautiful thing, but nobody really needs to see whose chapstick can last longer.)

It’s a time where girls can finally have a reasonable excuse to take Forrest Gump’s offer of having that savory box of chocolate, as if we need a day to remind us of the necessity of life that is chocolate.

While the idea of Valentine’s Day is nice, it seems as if the male population is slowly starting to dread the approaching love shenanigans. Valentine’s Day has altered its name to: “Don’t Screw It Up Day.”

Here’s a little advice to all you guys feeling the pressure and stress to give that special someone a day to remember: Stop thinking so much, but please don’t run away from the day.

It would be a lie to not admit that the media can create fictional fantasies filled with nothing but candlelit dinners, bouquets of roses, extravagant gestures, blinged-out gifts and males being every inch the Prince Charming that seems to be so rare to find in the real world.

While the glitz, glam and Prince Charming fantasy seems nice, is it that shocking to consider that maybe all of it isn’t necessarily needed to make that special someone happy?

If you want to go all out and try to be that Prince Charming I think every guy can be, but secretly protests by committing all your love to video games and food, then go right ahead. But deep down, not all girls want just those knight in shining armor moments. Sometimes the smallest gestures are just as meaningful.

Forget the candlelit dinner and stay in for a movie night marathon together because maybe having alone, cuddle time beats being out in public with every couple in America.

Don’t break your wallet trying to get that diamond jewelry that will add more stress to your already long list of “Oh, I need to pay for that” pile. Get your significant other a box of pizza in the shape of heart, because no matter how much we can try to fight it, carbs will always be a girl’s best friend.

You don’t need to get a myriad of gifts to prove your love, just take the time to talk and reflect on the feelings you have, but sometimes forget to express. Communication goes a long way and what better way to surprise her than by expressing your thought bubble, the one she secretly always wonders what it contains?

The moral of this day isn’t to stress so much but to just enjoy spending time with whoever makes you happy. It would be a shame to run away from the day out of fear of “messing up.” Life is already stressful, so why add more on a day that simply calls for the little things to celebrate something special?