Even here in Durham, amongst this sociable hive of open-minded young adults, there seems to exist this age-old myth that Valentine’s Day is for couples. As a result, all over the country it seems that lots of the singletons out there have created an annual backlash to that mushy romance stuff, and instead use the day as an opportunity to celebrate not being in love, but being free as a pringle and ready to mingle.
But I can’t help feeling that going too far with the anti-love stuff can put a bit of a downer on the whole sentiment of Valentine’s Day. I mean yeah, being single is great, but so is being in a committed relationship, or a long distance one, a marriage, an open relationship… even an ‘it’s complicated’ kind of situation. They all have their own advantages, and it’s okay to want one of them! If you’re single, Valentine’s Day is not a time when you should feel required to appear aggressively happy about that, (unless you are, which is great: go you!) with all this ‘I don’t need no man’ and ‘relationships are boring anyway’. If everyone is stood around in your college bar agreeing with each other that ‘being single is great!’, and you’re there thinking ‘well it is, for a while, but now I’d quite like to ditch the Klute flings and give romance a try’, chances are you’re not alone- it’s allowed!
Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day has gradually become whole-heartedly hijacked by modern media and consumerism; which annually throws poor quality chocolates and sickeningly fluffy heart-holding teddies at you as soon as the Christmas decorations come down. It all creates this idea that Valentine’s Day is for that happy couple to go for a romantic date and perhaps exchange a soppy gift or two. Basically, what we’re trying to say is: You can spend your Valentine’s Day however you damn well want to!
We won’t deny it: nice candle-lit dinner is a lovely idea, and it doesn’t have to be romantic- take your bestie along and enjoy treating yourselves to one of the very many tasty places you can eat here in Durham. Perhaps try out the super reasonable student menu in our cosy river-side Bella Italia, or have fun ordering and sharing different tapas dishes in La Tasca (recommended for first dates- you can tell a lot about a person by their favourite tapas).
A classic girls-night-out is also a great idea. Make it an occasion; an opportunity to dress up and venture beyond the bubble. Try Osbournes for some very reasonable (and yummy) £4 cocktails, or if you’re feeling especially classy, give the Ebony Champagne Bar a visit! Of course if you do want to stick to the cheap and cheerful college bars, maybe consider heading over to Trevs for their Valentine’s Unplugged, which promises to be a night of great fun and top entertainment.
But Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be an occasion. You might have a productive session at the Billy B, an overdue shopping trip, or you might just want to put on your pyjamas, get the junk food out and watch a film. ANY film: romances are not compulsory. Especially not if they’re going to make you cry into your crisp packet and wallow in loneliness (if this is a danger, maybe get a friend to join you. This way you can still wallow, but at least you won’t be entirely alone). If clothes aren’t too much to ask, the Gala are currently showing a replay of the old Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film, which, with its wonderfully nostalgic weirdness definitely won’t leave you crying.
I myself will be rehearsing for most of the day, which is okay, because I love doing shows, and I love the people I’ll be rehearsing with. Then I might Skype my parents, because I love them too. (And okay, maybe I’ll give my boyfriend a call as well. He’s alright too.) It’s Valentine’s Day, it’s meant to be about love, but nobody said it had to be the romantic kind! We all have something or someone we love, so think about that when you’re deciding how to spend it this year.
The word love can mean many things, and used on many different levels. So how should we spend our Valentine’s Day (or, if we want to get really deep and philosophical, any day)? Doing what we love. And the great thing is, you can interpret that however you like.