Not V-Day! Valentine's Day Activities for Singles

Okay, is there a more irritating holiday than Valentine's Day, when you're single? Everything you see is geared toward couples. While some people may really want to be a part of a couple and some are perfectly satisfied to not be a part of a couple, all seem to be left out in the cold on Valentine's Day. I find that distinctly unfair, and I would like to encourage everyone to have a good time on what is supposed to be a holiday of love. There are all kinds of love, not just the romantic kind! Therefore, I have five reasonable ideas on how a single person or group of single people can enjoy Valentine's Day without having to have a spouse or "soul-mate."

First, call your closest friend who is not currently part of a couple, share the expense, and get some yummy goodies, something nice to drink, and either raid your dvd's or rent some movies and spend the evening in each other's company. The date does not have to be romantic! It just has to be with somebody for whom you have love. I love my friends, so this would be a fun date for me.

Second, there is the option of having lunch with a good friend. You can exchange friendly cards and little gifts with each other, and keep the occasion light and fun. When I was single, I would buy a box of the little cards that children exchange at school parties and share those with my friends. As adults, they are sweet but nonthreatening, and they are fun.

A third possibility is to have a small gathering on Valentine's Day for your single friends. It can be a pot-luck where everyone brings a dish and a drink. This way there is no pressure to purchase gifts, you get to avoid the craziness that is at the restaurants on Valentine's Day evening, and you can enjoy an evening of friendly conversations and relaxation. Make certain you are willing to have friends stay over if anyone is planning to drink, for safety's sake.

There is a fourth option. You can invite your single friends to a game night. At that point, you can look up old games, like the one where you twist the stem of an apple to get the first letter of the name of the person you are going to marry. Those folded paper games where you make the choices of favorite colors and similar things leads to the person you are going to marry. You can even put the names of various fantasy men's names, like Johnny Depp or Mel Gibson, into a hat and each person can reach in to find their fantasy husband. This can be silly and fun, and it can serve to remind everyone that fun can be had on Valentine's Day without a partner.

Finally, if you want to have a get-together on Valentine's Day, you can get your friends' names, make certain they will show, and put them in a bowl. Each person will draw a name, and they will purchase an inexpensive gift or send flowers to that person. This way, everyone gets something on this day, and less people are feeling left out. Why let the couples have all the fun?

I hope these possibilities spark some ideas for the singles. When I was single, I always felt so left-out on Valentine's Day, so I would have loved ideas like these in those days. I would love to spare somebody else that kind of feeling. Enjoy this day of love, and remember, there's no law that says what kind of love it has to be.