It happens every year. Shortly after the groundhog makes his début, we all want to join him back in his burrow to hide from what comes next. Whether you’re single, in a relationship, or in some complicated enigma, Valentine’s Day is a ten on the scale of lame.
What holiday is this? Valentine’s Day of course!
Love is the most beautiful thing in the world, but a holiday for it is obnoxious and generic. As someone who has been single, in a relationship, and engaged on this day, not–all at the same time of course–I have learned a thing or two about how to survive it. I have created a ‘Valentine’s Day Survival Kit’ for all you singles, couples, and whatever-the-hells to make Valentine’s Day a little more fun.
- Singles: If pictures of your friends and their significant others on Facebook weren’t enough to make you grab the vodka, now there is a holiday for it! Cue Adele’s “Someone Like You”. The best part of being single is you get to call the shots!
- Volunteer Volunteer your time at a charity, hospital, or organization. Nothing besides plastic surgery will make you feel better about yourself.
- Call Old Friends You never know what could be in store reconnecting with old friends. Maybe you won’t be single next year! Or you can call an actual old friend and visit a nursing home!
- Adopt a Pet A valentine doesn’t have to be a significant other. Consider pet adoption and buy yourself a new furry valentine! The companionship will get you through lonely times and your new friend will get a loving home.
- Go Out Anyways Grab your other single friends and have a fun night out! Whatever you do, don’t drink your sorrows away. You might wind up calling an ex or even worse, winding up in your future ex’s bed. As Sweet Brown says, “Ain’t nobody got time fo’ that!”
- Indulge your Senses Any holiday that celebrates chocolate and flowers is okay by me. Eating chocolate and smelling flowers releases endorphins, which generate feelings of pleasure. Don’t be shy, buy, buy, buy!
Overall, own your singleness; remember being single is empowering and is not always a bad thing. It’s better to be alone than to be with the wrong person. Celebrate self-love!
- Couples: This holiday was designed for you. How lucky, right? If you don’t plan on saving a bunch of money by switching to single you probably need a few pointers.
- Be Thoughtful: Thoughtful gifts go a long way. Try a nice card with a hand written message and a framed picture of you two. It is not only affordable, it is easy and sweet. If she/he expects more, please read above for the single info. If you want to make your mate really happy, rename the holiday to ‘Steak & Make Out Day’. For the ladies, that is one way to get your man off his Xbox, unless of course his Xbox puts out.
- Talk: Talking is free and meaningful. So many couples nowadays don’t spend enough time together so promise each other you’ll dedicate the day to each other and just have fun catching up. You may ignite the flame again.
- Do a Fun Activity: Do something you both love. Maybe it’s a sport, a movie, or a cooking class. If it happens to be sex, then everyone wins. Whatever it is, just have fun!
- No Pressure: Whatever you do, don’t pressure each other. We have so many pressures already when in a relationship that this holiday shouldn’t add to the stress. Also, no expectations means no disappointments!
Overall, enjoy your partner and have fun together. After all that is the whole point of being with the person!
Everyone Else : If you fall into this category, you may want to fix your current situation before you worry about any holiday. We’ve all been there.
To sum it all up, don’t take Valentine’s Day too seriously. None of us need a special day to show our love, we should be showing that on all days that end in ‘Y’. Forget the expectations and just have fun. Hallmark, stick that on your shelves and sell it.