Ah, Valentine’s Day. It used to be fun when I was in elementary school and everyone brought in candy and notes for all the kids in our class. It was basically Halloween in February.
Fast forward to today as a 21-year-old single female in college and my feelings about Valentine’s Day have, well, changed. Now, I spend Feb. 14 scrolling through Instagram looking at couples that are “so in love” and call each other their “best friend” and blah blah blahhhhh. (Gross.)
While being single on Valentine’s Day isn’t ideal, it doesn’t have to be a sad day. There’s plenty of ways to be single on the day of love and still have a GREAT time.
They say write what you know, and I’m pretty much an expert at being very, very single. So, if you’re like me on Singles Awareness Day, here’s how you can spend the day being a boss instead of sulking in your bed with a bottle of red wine.
Make valentines for your friends.
Fire up your Pinterest boards and get crafty by making valentines for your best buds. Tell the people in your life how much you love them with a hand drawing or a cute pun (i.e. “I like you a latte” or “You guac my world”). They’ll really appreciate it and you’ll feel great knowing you put a smile on your friend’s face.
Turn Valentine’s Day into Pal-entine’s day.
Being single doesn’t mean that you’re alone. Get all of your best pals together this Valentine’s Day and have a singles-only party. While the couples are out at romantic dinners, you can play games, eat snacks and have a grand ole time without a significant other present. As the great Leslie Knope once said, “Ovaries before brovaries.”
No boyfriend? No problem.
Be your own Valentine.
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about couples. It’s a celebration of love in all forms, including self-love. You’re awesome, and you deserve to treat yourself.
So, buy yourself a bouquet of roses, a bottle of red wine or one of those giant teddy bears (10/10 would recommend) and remind yourself how awesome you are. After all, life is like a box of chocolates — you don’t need someone to buy it for you. (FYI, you can get a box of chocolates for $2.99 at Fred Meyer).
Bake yourself a cake and eat the entire thing.
You’ll need three things: Betty Crocker cake mix, frosting and a fork. Then go to town on your cake masterpiece, single-style.
Reflect on how much you’ve grown from past relationships.
Channel Ariana Grande this Valentine’s Day and say thank u, next to your exes. Think about how far you’ve come since past break-ups and how those relationships made you stronger. You’re doing great and you should recognize that!
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Play Tinder roulette with your besties.
Trade phones with your single friends and let them swipe for you. It’s a low-risk way to meet new people, and your friends will get a good laugh out of it.
Jam out to some self-love anthems.
Some of the best songs come from bad break-ups or relationships when you know it’s O-V-E-R. Here’s a playlist of songs that celebrate independence and self-love. It’s perfect for a dance party with your friends:
Don’t let your singleness get you down this Valentine’s Day. Just because you’re not in a relationship, doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate love! Own your independence, spend time with your friends and remember: the most important person you can say those three special words to is you.
We hope you have a beary good Valentine's Day!
Brigid Lowney is the living editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at lowney19@up.edu.
