Life
13 Things To Do On Valentine's Day If You're Single & Still Want To Cover Yourself In Pink
Valentine's Day can be a pretty polarizing holiday. It clearly separates us into two groups: In A Relationship, or Single. Somewhere along the line, Feb. 14 became not just V-Day but also Singles Awareness Day, aka S.A.D. This is ridiculous, because you can, in fact, celebrate the actual holiday if you're flying solo. There are a million things you can do on Valentine's Day when you're single — all of which will probably be more fun than going to an over-crowded, over-priced restaurant on a cold night, which is what all your coupled up friends will be doing.
On a day that's all about lovebirds and romance, it can be easy to get down on yourself if you're not currently part of a duo. Every store is stocked with "I Love You" stuffed Snoopys, heart-shaped boxes of candy, and greeting cards with red and pink envelopes. Being surrounded by all of this when you walk into a drug store to buy a new stick of deodorant, can leave you feeling pretty lonely.
It doesn't have to, though. Being single is not a failure. Would you rather be in a crummy relationship, just so you had someone you had to spend money on in February? I hope not. Sure, Valentine's Day is a wonderful celebration for people in happy relationships. But it can also be a great celebration for the single gal.
So if you don't have a special someone this year, be your own Valentine. As corny as that may sound, it's way better to use the day to treat yourself than to wallow in singleness or to completely ignore the holiday all together. Enjoy V-Day, even if you're enjoying it by yourself.
How can you mark the holiday when you're a single chick? Any way you want to! But if you're looking for ideas, here are 13 ways to celebrate that don't require a significant other.
1Buy Yourself Flowers
If ever there was a holiday about flowers, this is it. So go ahead and buy yourself a bouquet of your favorite blooms. They'll brighten your house and boost your mood, no SO required.
2Fall In Love With Your City
Looking for love on V-Day? Why not fall head-over-heels for your city? Explore the place like you're a tourist, hitting all of the spots you never get to visit during your day-to-day routine. Create a love story between you and your home town — best of all, it will always be free for dinner, and it will never forget to call.
3Eat All Of The Choclate
As if you needed a reason to indulge yourself with chocolate. Forget the drug store brands today. Treat yourself to some really high-quality chocolate and savor every single bite.
4Go See 'How To Be Single'
How To Be Single comes out right in time for Valentine's Day. Why not embrace your single status and take notes on the "right" way to do so. This all-star cast (Rebel Wilson, Dakota Johnson, Alison Brie, Leslie Mann) will have you cracking up. All the giggling will leave no time for feeling SAD on this Singles Awareness Day.
5Get A Massage
If you had a significant other, he or she would probably give you a massage on Valentine's Day. And chances are, it would be a pretty sucky massage. Go to a professional and get an actually relaxing massage. And best of all, there is absolutely no expectation that you will reciprocate the favor.
6Drink Wine. Lots Of Wine.
Buy a nice bottle of rosé (pink for Valentine's Day), get in your coziest pajamas, and enjoy yourself.
7Sign Up For A Class
You're single, which means you aren't expected to spend your free time with a certain person. Use this time in your life as an opportunity to cultivate yourself. Finally sign up for that cooking class, those guitar lessons, or that pick-up soccer league you've been meaning to join. You won't regret learning a new skill or revisiting a favorite past time, and it might be a great way to meet new people, too!
8Buy New Lingerie
Boyfriends always think it's a good idea to buy lingerie for their girlfriends, and inevitably they buy something heinous. And then the girlfriend feels obligated to wear it since it was a gift, but she really hates it. Forget that. Go buy yourself the prettiest bra you can find, and wear it every day. Knowing you have on something extra special under your clothes will give you an added boost of confidence.
9Watch Romantic Comedies
You don't have to be anti-love if you're single on Feb. 14. Sure, you can binge on slasher movies, but you can also embrace the spirit of the holiday and watch all of your favorite chick flicks, like When Harry Met Sally or The Princess Bride. It's fun to champion romance, even if you're doing so on your own. It'll restore your faith that true love does exist, and that you will find it sooner than you think.
10Go On A Blind Date
Everyone else is on a date, so why shouldn't you be as well? It's totally unorthodox to have a first date on Valentine's Day, which makes it all the more fun and memorable. Get your friend to set you up with someone and go out to dinner. Everyone around you will think you're already a couple, which could be totally goofy if your date has a good sense of humor. It's a meet-cute worthy of a Nora Ephron film.
11Spend All Day In Bed
Couples spend Valentine's Day in bed, and you should too. Eat breakfast in bed, stay in your pajamas all day, and bundle up under the covers. Watch Netflix, read a book, write that screenplay you've been meaning to start — just don't leave the coziness of your bed. You'll feel totally refreshed and ready to go on Feb. 15.
12Bake Something Sweet
On a day that's all about sweethearts, bake your own sweets. Make Valentine's Day cookies and eat all of them. Or, make a giant batch and create little Cupid-themed cookie bags for your friends. They'll be eternally grateful.
13Make It Galentines Day!
In the immortal words of Leslie Knope, Galentine's Day is "only the best day of the year!" Gather up all your single friends and celebrate each other! Just because you don't have a significant other doesn't mean there aren't plenty of people in your life that you love who love you back, like your best friends. You and your girls can do any or all of the above activities, or just hang around in someone's living room catching up and enjoying the day. It'll probably be the best Valentine's Day you've ever had!
