Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love seeing the color pink everywhere, the decorations of hearts and flowers that show up in all the stores, and the candy and red velvet cakes that start being pushed to the front of the grocery store.I love it all. It has always been a holiday that has brought me a lot of joy, yet I have never had a partner to celebrate it with. There is this idea that Valentine’s Day is all about having a boyfriend, girlfriend, or a significant other in your life that you can celebrate with. When people don’t have one, they see this holiday as something to dread. However, I believe that Valentine’s Day is not just about celebrating the romantic love in your life, it is about celebrating love in all the forms that it comes in.
Love for Family
One way to celebrate this holiday is to show your love for your family. Growing up, my mom would always get me a little something on Valentine’s Day. Whether it was a box of chocolates, a necklace, or a new piece of clothing, it was always so special to me that my mom would think of me on this day. Now that I am older, I am able to show that love back. Usually on Valentine’s Day I send my mom a Starbucks gift card, flowers, a card, chocolate, or anything else that I feel like. If Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend, we usually spend the day together shopping, going out to eat, watching a movie, or anything else that sounds fun. These are the ways I celebrate Valentine’s Day with my mom, but you can celebrate with anyone in your family. Spend the day with, or call, your grandma, grandpa, dad, siblings, uncle, aunt, etc. Anyone in your family that you want to show , and celebrate, your love and gratefulness for.
Love for Friends
This is one of my favorite ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Go with your friends and get some fun Valentine’s Day decorations, your favorite treats, a yummy dinner, and have a movie night together. One of my favorite movies of all time, and my favorite movie to watch on the holiday, is the movie Valentine’s Day. It has romance, friendship, heartbreak, and so much more. (And did I mention Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner are in it.) Having a night to spend with your closest friends is one of the best ways to celebrate the love of friendship in your life. The love of friendship is one that is so special. If you all can’t meet up for a movie night, just call your friends and let them know how much they mean to you.
Love for Self
Last, but certainly not least, spend this Valentine’s Day celebrating self love. Self love is one of the loves in our lives that too often gets overlooked. Spend this Valentine’s Day doing things that make you feel happy and loved. Take a long walk, buy yourself your favorite candy, and have a movie night in your bed. Or take a bath, get your nails done, and do anything that you feel is showing yourself love and gratitude on this day. We all deserve to have love for ourselves, and using this holiday as an opportunity to do nothing but practice it, is something that can be so personal and special.
Valentine’s Day does not have to be a day that you dread because you don’t have a significant other in your life. It is a day to celebrate love, in any and all the forms that it comes to us in. I feel so grateful that I have family, friends, and myself to celebrate this day with. I hope that we all can embrace the beauty of Valentine’s day: A holiday all about celebrating love, in any way we can.