Because the Winter Olympics don’t fall on Valentine’s Day every year, this upcoming Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to take advantage and do something different. No matter who you’re planning on spending your Valentine’s Day with, be it a significant other or your girlfriends, here are six simple things you can do that are in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and the Olympics.
- In honor of the Winter Olympics, try to go rock climbing, hiking, or exploring to kick off Valentine’s Day. It might not be snowing, or even necessarily cold, but it’s the thought that counts! Not only will it be something you’ve probably never done on this particular holiday, but it’ll be a way for you to segway into a more casual approach to your date, or give you both time to work out stress before your real date gets underway. After the stresses of school, work, and life in general, a thirty minute walk down a hiking trail you’ve never been on, and exercise in general, will lower your stress and give you time to spend with each other without really having to worry about anything at all.
- If you plan on eating out this Valentine’s Day (as you probably are), try going to a restaurant that televises the Olympics, or go to a sports bar where you know the crowd will be energized by what’s happening on the screen. It might not be the fanciest place to eat, or the most traditionally romantic, but you don’t need candlelight and expensive food to enjoy a night with your significant other, or with your girlfriends. However, if you’re dead-set on a nicer evening for yourself and your significant other, the Olympics will still be there when you get back home, and would be an interesting change of pace from your usual Valentine’s Day.
- Going out on Valentine’s Day can be great, but some days you just might not feel like getting dressed up so you can look respectable for wherever you’re going. Or, maybe you’re both trying to save money and would rather spend your holiday at home. In either case, the Olympics are just what you need to keep on the screen. Not only will it provide plenty of excitement and entertainment for you both during the sports you’re interested in, but there are also plenty of lulls too. These are times when neither of you are too into a particular event, or Team USA isn’t on, that give you and your significant other, or whoever you’re with, plenty of time for conversation you’d have had if you had gone out to eat, all in the comfort of home.
- If you’re both up for it, try to cook a meal together with the winter Olympics playing in the background. Try making another culture’s typical cuisine, or making some simple dishes from several. Regardless of what you make, as long as it’s something that will have you both cooking in the kitchen together, it’ll be a success. If anything, it’ll certainly be a fun experience: you’ll both have equal duties in the kitchen and will be spending time together. You’ll also get the opportunity to see your significant other get excited and frustrated at the television, which could be adorable, hilarious, or both. As you cook, the sports can fade into the background (figure skating will be on at some point, so you’ll be sure to have some great music), and it’ll just be you and him, or whoever, making a meal together and celebrating your relationship.
- Alternatively, if neither of you feel like cooking, or if neither of you are particularly good at it, don’t lose the spirit of adventure! Try ordering take-out or pick up food from your local Moroccan Thai, Chilean, Irish restaurant– you get the idea. If there’s a restaurant that offers a foreign culture’s cuisine and you haven’t tried it yet, take the opportunity to experiment on Valentine’s Day, especially since the Olympics are something to celebrate too. Go on a drive with your significant other (or your girlfriends) and order something small from several places and make your dinner theme international. Whether the food comes from a nice restaurant or Panda Express, as long as you’re going to share it with someone you care about, it doesn’t really matter. This date’s all about just being together (and the Olympics).
- Turn watching the Olympics into a game. Exchange gifts, chocolates, hugs, anything, whenever Team USA (or your team of choice) wins or qualifies. Worried they might not do either for the events taking place that night? Don’t think about that. Send them good vibes telepathically at all times. Even if your favorite team isn’t playing, choose a team to root for in every event, establish what you’re betting and what the stakes are. Regardless of who you’re with, be it significant other or girlfriends, try to not bet money, be creative, and have fun with it!
Valentine’s Day, no matter who you’re with, is a time to celebrate the meaningful relationships in your life. With the Olympics on at the same time, a competition that celebrates worldwide unity like nothing else on earth, this Valentine’s Day is sure to be extra special. But extra special doesn’t have to mean extra expensive or extra extravagant (the Olympics is extravagant enough), and it doesn’t mean you have to choose between having a nice Valentine’s Day and watching the Olympic events on a worldwide stage. No matter what you choose to do this Valentine’s Day, if you go out or choose to stay home, the Olympics is on all day, so there’s plenty of time to watch your favorite events together. As long as you’re with someone you care about, combining both the romance of Valentine’s Day and the energy and excitement of the Olympics can make for an amazing Valentine’s Day date that only comes once every four years. Happy Valentine’s Day, and go world!