Valentine’s Day – bah, humbug.
Yeah, don’t worry, we sympathize.
This year you’ve decided that you want to forget about Valentine’s Day entirely. As far as you’re concerned, it’s not a holiday. But it’s not that easy, right? Everywhere you go there’s paper hearts hanging and overpriced stuffed animals. Even your favorite restaurant has their V-day specials plastered on all the doors. Even the local bars are doing specials, which makes you question the integrity of the whole fiasco of a holiday even more. So what to do?
You could start by celebrating the other February holidays.
Yes, you read right: there are other holidays in February. And we’re not referring to some kind of February get-a-head-start-on-planning-your-St. Patrick’s-day-party holiday that the aisles of many stores would suggest. We’re talking about real holidays.
Don’t believe us? Well then keep reading, because here are our five favorite February holidays besides that holiday of love that steals the whole month:
1. Feb. 29: Leap Year
If you’ve forgotten, 2012 is a leap year. Thanks to the cosmic workings of the sun actually taking a little bit more than just 365 days to rotate around the earth, every four years we get an extra day added to the calendar. Why not spend your extra day doing something fun?
2. Feb. 13 – 19: Random Acts of Kindness Week
Charitable acts don’t mean you have to give someone the shirt off your back. You never know when something as simple as smiling at a stranger might turn around their whole day. If you want to do something a little more extravagant? The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a list of over 250 kindness ideas. So even if you don’t have a significant other, there’s still plenty of things you can do to get that farm, fuzzy feeling.
3. All February long: Humpback Whale Awareness Month
Humpback whales are actually really interesting creatures. They can eat over a ton of krill, scientists can identify them individually by a pattern on their tail, and the boys can sing! So take a day or two this month to appreciate our giant, aquatic friends. And if you’re feeling artistic, you now have a valid excuse to paint little whales on your nails.
4. All February long: Chocolate Lover’s Month
As if you didn’t need yet another reason to eat chocolate, February is Chocolate Lover’s Month. You could head to Dunkin Donuts and get a couple of their new chocolate donuts. And don’t forget about all the clearance Valentine’s Day candy. What better way to stick it to the man than by waiting for the 14th to pass by, going to the store and loading up on all the marked down candy?
5. Feb. 21: Mardi Gras
Who needs Valentine’s Day when you could be busy celebrating the greatest party there is? Now, we know everyone can’t exactly pack up and go to New Orleans, but you can always find ways to celebrate here in Knoxville. For example, Volunteer Princess Cruises is hosting a masquerade party on Fat Tuesday. Don’t have that much cash to spare? Grab some friends, some masks, and some glitter and try throwing one yourself! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
So this month instead of sulking, get out and have some fun with the other February holidays. With so many to choose from, you’ll forget about Valentine’s Day completely!