What do you do on Valentine’s Day if you’re in a casual relationship? This is what we were wondering in our HER Campus club meeting last week. It seems as though college dating and hookup culture is a lot more casual these days than when our parents were in college. Explaining casual relationships to some adults in my life is sometimes a lost cause. They don’t understand a casual relationship, and therefore can’t offer advice about what to do on Valentine’s Day in a casual relationship. In fact, I get a lot of comments from adults about how a lack of romance and emotional intimacy can affect a person.
Although this point may be argued, the women of HER Campus were discussing casual relationships as the norm. They are much more common these days. In particular, we wondered what people in such casual relationships do on such a romantic holiday as Valentine’s Day. Personally, I don’t engage in serious relationships. However, I have never discussed Valentine’s Day with someone I am involved with. I didn’t have any advice for the HER girls either.
To find an answer to this question, I did what any millennial would do. I reached out to my Facebook friends to hear about their experiences. One of my female friends in college messaged,
“I’m in a casual relationship and we’ve decided not to spend Valentine’s Day together, not because we don’t care about each other but because we don’t really care about Valentine’s Day. We’re hanging out the night before and will be having a nice and quiet night in.”
I have spoken with a few other friends, and they all seem to not have plans for Valentine’s Day. For me, Valentine’s Day has always seemed like it required everyone to have an official, labeled relationship, or the direct opposite of a casual relationship. But this isn’t the case! If you are in a casual relationship, there is no reason that you shouldn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with your significant other. Or not celebrate, for that matter.
Whatever you decide to do, have a great day, and I hope you eat as much chocolate as I’m going to!