Valentine’s Day is a majorly over-hyped and commercialized holiday, yet it somehow manages to intimidate a lot of single people, as if being single on February 14 lessens their value so much more than being single on any other day. The truth is that it’s really not a tragedy to be single on Valentine’s Day. Next time you catch yourself lamenting your lack of a Valentine, just remember these things.
- It’s basically a made up holiday. Valentine’s Day (or the commercialized version of it we celebrate today) was invented by retailers to sell cards, boxes of chocolates, and teddy bears. It’s essentially using a combination of impending guilt and desire for sex to sell stuff. If you’re single, you’re really not missing out on much.
- It’s no different than being single any other day. Think about it. Other people are in relationships every single day, and they buy gifts/go on dates. The only reason you notice it so much more on February 14 is because of all the publicity. Remind yourself that it’s just another day, and do whatever you would do on any random day; pizza and Netflix never go out of style.
- You’re not the only single person in the world. It might feel like you are when you watch 2/3 of your coworkers receive packages of flowers and chocolates on the same day, but there are plenty of other single people in the world and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. Plus, you know at least one or two of those people sent flowers to themselves because they were so worried about appearances; be glad you’re not that lame.
- Real romance doesn’t require a holiday. If you’re looking for love, it can find you in any place and at any time. It’s not waiting for a particular date; love has a way of blowing you away when you’re least expecting it. When it does, every random Tuesday you spend cuddling on the couch will feel like Valentine’s Day is supposed to feel.
- “Just because” flowers are so much better. You could meet someone awesome tomorrow, and he could surprise you with flowers within the week. Those “just because” flowers are so much more awesome than the ones someone paid more for just because it’s February 14.
- You can “cheer up” your single friends by going out for drinks. Even though you’re not bummed about being single, drinks with the girls are always fun. Plus, you can add some extra fun to the evening by making fun of the gooey-eyed couples and turning them into a drinking game; every time they say something nauseating, everyone does a shot.
- The dates that are in your future will be so much better than Valentine’s Day. When you meet someone special, those dates will be magical. As a general rule, a date that’s planned just because someone really like you is always going to be way better than one that happens because of societal pressure to go out on a certain night.
- Your relationship status doesn’t define you. In case you forgot, here’s your reminder: you aren’t defined by your relationship status. Being single doesn’t make you any less awesome than you naturally are, so just live your life and appreciate everything that’s terrific about yourself. When you meet the right one, they’ll appreciate you the way you deserve. Until then, you know that you’re awesome, so just live your life one day at a time and love yourself.
