I firmly believe that Valentine’s Day should not be a holiday associated with couples. While it is about celebrating love and going on cute dates with your significant other, this time of year is too cute to be gatekept by people in relationships. Coming from someone who has never been in a relationship when this holiday rolls around, I have found so much joy in the corny-yet-anticipated traditions of this holiday.
I’m sure having a cute date night with your partner is amazing, dates should not be exclusive to couples, who say we can’t take our friends out to eat and enjoy a delicious dinner with candlelight and roses. I advise everyone out there, never wait for someone to buy you flowers—buy them for yourself! You do not have to be in a relationship to treat yourself to a beautiful bouquet of roses. There is something so special in celebrating yourself and not relying on someone else to make you happy when you can do that for yourself.
Every year, I always enjoy going through the different Valentine’s Day aisles of stores and seeing the different assortment of candies, stuffed animals, and cards. I love the nostalgia of V-Day cards, it reminds me of passing them out to all my classmates in elementary school. Let’s bring that back, give your friends a Valentine with a cute little message inside this year. I know it would make their day. I have always been a sucker for romance and love, that’s why I love this holiday so much; it makes me so happy to see people showing love to others. While some may argue this is just a holiday for Hallmark to make a bunch of money, why not take any excuse to spread the love a little extra for a day?
While it may not strike points for originality, get a group of friends for a wine night while watching some iconic romantic comedies. You can order a pizza, make some chocolate-covered strawberries, and make it a whole thing. As a very ceremonious person, I think more people need to romanticize and celebrate their life in any way they can.
This time of year I love listening to millions of love songs to get me in the spirit, some of my favorites are “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and “Silly Love Songs.” For an avid lover of hearts and pink, this is a great time of year to show off all the pink pieces in your wardrobe. Whatever you find joy during this time of year, do it. It seems obvious, but I find during this time of year, single people tend to focus on what they don’t have rather than appreciating what they do have.
It’s 2022, we can be our own Valentine. Maybe it’s cheesy but trust me the more you stop relying on someone else to make you happy or loved on this holiday, the more joy you will be able to find in it.
Thanks for reading, V