If you’re anything like me, you resent how Valentine’s Day is not that meaningful, how it’s nothing more than a superficial holiday that commercializes romance to sell flowers and chocolate. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Here are 8 meaningful ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day that don’t revolve around money or going out.
The first 5 ways are for people in a relationship, and the last 3 are for single folks.
Ways to celebrate as a couple
In no specific order, here are 5 ways you can spend a meaningful day together as a couple on Valentine’s Day, without participating in the senseless capitalism the holiday encourages.
1. Cook a meal together
A beautiful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day without giving in to the commercial aspect is cooking something with your partner. Instead of going out to eat and dealing with the crowds, make a meal together.
Think of a favorite meal that you had this past year and try to recreate it together. Or come up with a new recipe together and experiment with something different!
Also, remember that you don’t even have to celebrate it on Valentine’s Day itself. Because what does February 14th mean to any of us, anyway?
Cook something on your own terms and your own schedule, instead of some arbitrary day that society has reserved for romance.
2. Create a scrapbook of memories
This is a great way to strengthen your relationship and reminisce about good times with your partner.
If you have the time and creative energy, you can go through your phone and collect photos that represent the fun memories of the last year. Then print them out and work with your partner to place them in a scrapbook together.
Make it fun by talking about the times you shared and come up with captions together for the photos.
It also doesn’t have to be for an entire year or a long span of time-you could just scrapbook a recent trip you took or a block of time that was memorable for the two of you.
3. Write each other a love letter
Rather than getting a store-bought card, write your significant other a love letter! Here are some ideas of what to write about:
- Recount the day the two of you met and how your relationship started
- Express your appreciation for how your partner has loved and supported you recently
- Reminisce about recent memories that brought the two of you joy
After writing your letters, you can read them out loud to each other or read them in private, whatever suits you!
4. Unplug for the evening
While there’s nothing wrong with spending a night cozying up on the couch watching Netflix, it’s meaningful to unplug from screens for an evening and simply enjoy each other’s presence.
Consider reading books together or taking a sunset walk in nature. I think being present with your partner without distractions is one of the more underrated acts of love, and it’s easy to not prioritize this.
I really like the idea on disconnecting from technology because seeing people post about receiving chocolates and flowers can make us feel like that’s an obligation that comes with the holiday. But when we stop comparing ourselves with others, we can bring real meaning into our lives.
5. Take a class together
Have you and your partner ever talked about wanting to take an art class together, or learn how to do acroyoga?
If so, you can take this time to try something new together and sign up for a class! It’s a fun way to learn a new skill with each other while getting out of your comfort zone.
Here are some ideas of things you can sign up for:
- Sip and paint classes
- Yoga or acrobatic classes
- Introduction to rock climbing course
- Pottery or sculpting class
The list goes on; talk to your partner about what interests the two of you and get creative. Even if you don’t share any common interests, it can be fun to experiment with something new. Who knows? You might even find a new hobby that you both enjoy!
Ways to celebrate as a single person
We often think of Valentine’s Day as a holiday for couples, but it can also be for single people!
If we reframe the day as a cultural holiday intended to celebrate love, then we also open ourselves up for different ways to celebrate it.
Here are 3 ways you can celebrate Valentine’s Day by yourself, and focus on loving yourself.
6. Write yourself a love letter
Okay, this might sound cheesy, but it can be a powerful way to take care of yourself.
Think about it: how often do we practice self-care for ourselves? It’s common to give other people compliments, and affirm our love for our friends and family, but rarely do we do this for ourselves.
This Valentine’s Day, take the route less taken and write yourself a love letter.
Write down everything you appreciate about yourself and celebrate the ways you’ve overcome struggles this year. Tell yourself how proud you are of how far you’ve come and all the things you’ve been able to achieve.
It’s your chance to be vulnerable and honest with yourself. You don’t have to worry about anyone else reading it because this letter is just for you!
If you’re single this Valentine’s Day, I really hope you take the chance to show yourself some love. In the hopes of encouraging you, I’ll talk about what I would write about if I were drafting a letter to myself.
I would write about how I struggled with depression quite a bit this past year, and it affected how I showed up at work and in my relationship. I would write about how I am proud of myself for persevering even when times got tough.
Hopefully, that inspires you to be open with yourself in your own letter!
7. Connect with a friend you haven’t talked to in a while
Love isn’t just reserved for romantic partners-remember that you can show love for your friends too. Take some time to reconnect with a friend you’ve lost touch with.
Everyone gets caught up with life, and it’s easy to let friendships, especially adult friendships, get buried in the hustle and bustle of our day. But that doesn’t mean we can’t rekindle those friendships.
Send your friend a text or a voice message to plan an outing or just to let them know you’re thinking about them. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick message to reconnect with a friend.
8. Take yourself on a solo date (or take a friend)
If you’re an introvert like me, you’re going to love this last one. Take yourself out to something you’ve been wanting to do, but have been putting off.
Whether it’s going for a hike in the woods or visiting a cafe you’ve been wanting to try, treat yourself to a special event.
I know being single among a crowd of couples can feel awkward, so if you really don’t want to be by yourself, invite a friend! There’s no reason dates can’t be with friends; I’ve had countless “bro dates” with my best friend where we’ve gone out to movies and dinners, and have had a blast together.
Ending thoughts
I want to end this post by saying that although Valentine’s Day has no inherent meaning for the majority of us (and actually has pretty dark origins), we can make it special by celebrating it in our own way and adding our own meaning to it.
Hopefully, you got some ideas for meaningful ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, whether you’re in a relationship or single. If enjoyed this post, you might also like this one about meaningful date ideas.
Thanks for taking the time to read and travel the route less taken, and I’ll see you next time!
