I’ve never in my life needed a man in order to feel worthwhile or to have an awesome time. My relationship status is a minor detail of my life, and I don’t think that should all change on some arbitrary day in February. Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday designed to disappoint people everywhere.
If you’re in a relationship there’s instantly pressure to “make it special.” No matter what your plans are, one person is always expecting more. If you’re single society wants you to shut yourself inside with two cartons of Ben and Jerry’s Half –Baked and not emerge into the daylight until the 15th.
That is why on February 14th my friends and I participate in the honorary tradition that is Galentine’s Day. Last year, Galentine’s was a major success. We purchased tickets to the most romantic, sappiest, over-the-top Valentine’s blockbuster available, “The Vow.” We inadvertently picked the busiest evening time, when post –dinner date couples were filing in for a romantic flick. We didn’t have time to grab dinner before, so we stopped at Noodles & Company. We all ordered giant bowls of hot noodles to go, hid them in our giant purses and snuck them into the theatre.
Please picture four single girls in a room full of couples, eating steaming hot pasta dishes, and whisper critiquing Channing Tatum’s range as an actor. We stood up in victory when the movie referenced Northwestern, and I’m pretty sure the majority of the theatre thought we were unstable bag ladies who had snuck inside. But we were definitely having way more fun than 95% percent of the people in the theater. We walked back to our dorms in the freezing cold, hysterically laughing the whole way. For the rest of the night, we layed on the floor of my dorm watching the most obsure videos on YouTube and it was honestly the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.
This year Galentine’s Day is happening again. We’re going to sneak in some equally obnoxious dinner and the movie this year is Nicholas Sparks’ “Safe Haven.” We will have an amazing time ridiculing Josh Duhamel’s dramatic acting, and I advise you to do the same. Have your own Galentine’s Day and enjoy your own movie theatre pasta with your friends. If you’re in relationship, just remember not to take the 14th too seriously. Have fun, crack jokes about Josh Duhamel, and actually enjoy each others company. A successful Valentine’s Day isn’t about having a night so serious and romantic you’re sweating through your new blouse, it’s about actually enjoying the company of people you care about.