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By Amanda (Age 23, USA)
February 14 has become known the world over as the day couples exchange greeting cards, flowers, chocolates, and all other manner of cavity inducing paraphernalia. It is also a day when hordes of guys decide to ask their dream girl out for the first time, or even pop the ever important marriage question when already in a relationship, and the day women everywhere stress about whether or not their boyfriend remembered that they like white roses instead of red, or that they prefer pansies to peonies. In some circles though, the holiday known as Valentine’s Day may also jokingly be referred to as Single’s Awareness Day. After all, when someone spends 24 hours bombarded with images of couples, who isn’t aware that they are without a “significant other?” Here’s an idea: take that single awareness and run with it. Have some fun with Portrait’s ideas for non-Romantic holiday activities.
It might sound a little boring to those of you out there who don’t enjoy your stories on pages instead of film, but it can be a great way to kill a few hours. Settle down in a comfy chair and start reading one of those books you’ve been meaning to get to, but never seem to have the chance. (I don’t recommend this as your only Valentine’s Day activity. Reading for the entire day does get a little hard on the eyes.) If you find this activity a little too solitary, keep going on down the list.
Admittedly, this is a pretty common idea for the single kids. Get together with a group and head out for a night a of fun. Depending on your age, the activities you can choose from here may be a little limited. Nightclubs and sports bars are usually for a slightly older crowd. There is also the downside to it being Valentine’s Day, so there will, in fact, be tons of couples everywhere you look. Also, because of Valentine’s Day, this activity might involve a bit more extensive planning than some of the others. Restaurants are going to be full with people who have reservations. Clubs (even those that cater to teens) are likely going to be full of people searching for that special someone. Try things like mini golf or seeing an action movie, things that lend themselves to large groups of people instead of one on one outings.
Invite friends over and watch a few movies with a table loaded down with snacks. I suggest a marathon with a theme. You can go the Valentine’s Day route with lots of romance and chick flicks with crowd pleasers like The Notebook. Personally, when I go the romance movie route, I’m a fan of the eighties teen films like One Crazy Summer or Can’t Buy Me Love. Or you can have an anti V-Day marathon with cheesy slasher films, or explosive action movies, or classic musicals. The possibilities are endless. And let’s face it, with a group of friends surrounding the television set, there’s bound to be more chatting than there is movie watching anyway, complete with yelling at the screen and discussing the lives of the celebrities inhabiting the roles. Definitely a fun time, regardless of how you theme your play list.
I realize this activity might not seem like the most fantastic thing ever to some people, but take into account that a lot of bowling alleys run holiday specials. They lower the price of games, shoes, food, and sometimes run contests throughout the night. It’s a low key activity that doesn’t require a ton of planning. Take a group of your single friends, or even couples who don’t want to do the whole Valentine’s Day thing, and make it a party. Bowling alleys don’t only have ten pins and hardwood floors anymore either. A lot of them, in addition to the snack bar, have pubs for the of age crowd, arcades or game rooms for those who aren’t, and even karaoke for those who like the spotlight. The bowling alleys of today have a little something for everyone.
Red always seems to be the most popular color choice for romantics. It is the color of love, the color of passion, and the color we see the most of on the fourteenth. There are red roses, red hearts, red foil wrapped chocolates, red sprinkles on the cupcakes. You name it, if it’s Valentine’s Day, it’s probably red. Embrace it. Use the color as the theme for a party. Red velvet cake, red licorice, strawberries, cherries, there are lots of foods that work as festive treats. Red food coloring and fruit juices can be used to dress up drinks as well. You can even dress up the party, requesting your friends show up in red cocktail dresses, wear red lipstick, whatever you want. Put on some music that fit the theme as well, like Kellie Pickler’s “Red High Heels.“ Have fun with it.
This one definitely involves a little bit of planning on your part. If you know someone who is part of a couple, someone with kids, like say, your parents, volunteer to keep an eye on their children so they can go out and enjoy one another’s company for the evening. Give them the chance to act like the couple they used to be instead of a pair of parents. As much as they love you, mom and dad deserve some time off once in a while. Note: this doesn’t just apply to your own parents. Baby-sit for the neighbors, an older sibling, an uncle, whoever it is you think deserves to have their own Valentine’s Day celebration.
You aren’t the only one out there spending your Valentine’s Day as a single person. If you don’t want to treat it as just another day, or you don’t want to hang out with a big group of friends, make someone else’s day special. Volunteer. Some great bets for a holiday community service session are Assisted Living Centers (or Nursing Homes), Hospitals, Soup Kitchens, and Homeless Shelters. These are the kinds of places that need a lot of help on holidays, since a lot of their regular volunteers are going to be spending time with loved ones. These are also the places where you’re going to find people who don’t have loved ones to spend holidays with. Who knows? You might enjoy it so much, you could make it a regular outing. Admittedly, most of these ideas are ones you can do any time, you don’t have to relegate them solely to having a fun Valentine’s Day. Whatever you decide to do, have fun, and don’t get too bogged down in the hearts and candy. |
