Love Languages and Laughter on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day has always stirred up a mix of emotions. For many, it represents love, romance, and heartfelt gestures, while for others, it feels like a pressure cooker of expectations. In our latest podcast episode, we explore the rich history of Valentine's Day as well as the personal experiences that shape how we view this holiday. I brought up this option for an episode due to an experience I had a few years ago dating someone. They decided to take another girl to a hockey game on Valentine’s Day. To him, it was just another Tuesday, but to me it stirred up a lot of trauma from my past and opened up doubt for this relationship. Sarah and Brandi have also had their share of interesting Valentine’s Day experiences! From Kozy going on a blind date to Brandi having a double-date when she was in a “situationship”, we’ve all had some laughs and tears with our own Valentine’s Day experiences over the years.
One major takeaway from our discussion is the essence of communication in relationships. As people come together, especially during holiday festivities, understanding the expectations surrounding celebrations like Valentine's Day becomes crucial. We explore the significance of discussing love languages as a strategy to bridge these emotional gaps. Love languages include:
Acts of Service
Words of Affirmation
Gifts
Physical Touch
Quality Time
Guess which ones we lean into?! Kozy and Brandi are both Words of Affirmation & Acts of Service. My top one is Quality Time and I go between Acts of Service/Words of Affirmation as my second. We tend to love people in the way we want to be loved so understanding your partners’ love language is important. Whether someone values gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation, or quality time, recognizing and respecting these differences can pave the way for healthier relationships.
As our conversation unfolds, we highlight the transformation of Valentine's Day over centuries and how this holiday has shifted through the ages into more commercial expressions, thanks in part to influential companies like Hallmark. Moreover, we touch upon the rising trend of Galentine's Day—an occasion for women to celebrate their friendships and love for one another rather than focusing solely on romantic partners. We love Galentine’s Day since it seems to be more casual, less expectations, and carbs are heavily involved.
Ending our episode with a lighthearted tone, we emphasize that it’s perfectly fine to challenge societal norms surrounding Valentine's Day. Sometimes staying home and making sushi is a more fitting expression of love than the conventional dinner and gifts. As we wrap up our conversation, we encourage our listeners to foster open dialogues with their partners about the significance of this holiday and their individualized approaches to celebrating it.
Listen now! Text us with episode suggestions and feedback - the link is in the top of the description on all platforms the episode is hosted on!
Chapters to check out:
0:00 Valentine's Day History and Personal Experiences
6:44 Navigating Love Languages and Valentine's Day
16:43 Valentine's Day Traditions and Gifts
29:16 Blind Date and Valentine's Day Memories
34:58 Awkward Valentine's Day Double Date
43:15 Balancing Relationships and Traditions
And if you are a last-minute shopper like I am….here are some Valentine’s Day recommendations for you!
If you missed our episode, remember, it’s not about conforming to expectations—find what works best for you and ensure you can have these conversations with your partner. We ended the episode curious about your experiences…what’s the worst Valentine’s Day experience you’ve had? Or what’s your annual tradition with your partner that you always look forward to? We would love to know more and share with our listeners!
So until next time - stay bold, stay empowered…
Rachael & the Girl Gang
