Every year, I have spent Valentine’s Day without a valentine. The only caveat to that statement is the one year that I had a valentine we were middle schoolers, and the date was playing Mario Kart. Not to say that is not wonderful, but it is safe to say that I have never experienced the true Valentine’s Day love that we see left and right during lovebug season. I used to think this was a flaw on my end, but in recent years I have figured out that not having a love interest isn’t inherently bad. Independence is a good thing! With that, I hope that someone reading this who may feel sad about the holiday can learn from my Valentine’s Day experiences and feel a little cheerier the February 14th!
Do i have to have a valentine to celebrate?
No, definitely not, but the definition of valentine doesn’t have to be what you first think of! Funny enough, assuming we are disregarding my middle school attempt at dating, my mom was always my valentine. Every February 14th, she would wake my brother and I up for school with heart shaped boxes of chocolates and handwritten cards.
While many people think a date with a significant other is the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, that isn’t what it has to! Valentine’s day can mean different things to different people, and for me, it is simply a day to spread love and appreciation. You can do this with, obviously, a partner, but you can also celebrate to the same extent with friends and family. To this day, my mom is always my valentine.
Does celebrating have to be extravagant?
Once again, no! When I was younger, I was convinced that no Valentines Day celebration was real unless it was a candlelit dinner. While I now know that that is ridiculous, the media had me fooled a handful of years ago. Every video and photo posted was of people enjoying fancy evenings together, but in reality, only very few people celebrate in that manner. Spending quality time is more than enough to make someone feel special on Valentines day, and yes, this most definitely includes spending time with your friends and family too! I love to spend chill nights in with my friends on Valentine’s Day.
Spending time with friends on the holiday is also a nice alternative to spending the evening alone, wallowing. Even if you are sad not to have a partner this Valentine’s Day, and even if it is feels easier to spend the evening in tears, it is much more worthwhile to push yourself to enjoy the day despite not having a date. If you decide to have a night alone, that’s okay too! Just make sure to take care of yourself and embrace the relaxation. Who cares if lovebug season didn’t go as planned, Valentine’s Day can be just as lovely without a relationship!
Who knows, maybe next year we will both be in happy relationships looking up Her Campus articles for date ideas! For now though, lets learn from my past Valentine’s Day experiences and enjoy this years day of love.