Spending Valentine’s alone
By KC Meredyk
Despite being the exact type of person you’d expect not to enjoy Valentine’s Day, seeing as I am comfortably under the aro/ace umbrella, it is among my favorite holidays. Sure, I’m not going out on a date with any significant other, so I am not celebrating in a traditional sense. Instead, I view Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to do things that I enjoy.
The growing popularity of Galentine’s Day has shown I’m not the only one who likes the vibe of Valentine's day without the need for a date. Galentine's Day, created by the show “Parks and Recreation,” is typically celebrated anywhere from Feb. 1 to 13, though the official date is Feb. 13. So even if you plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day with a date, there is no reason you can’t also have fun doing something for yourself or with friends.
Often, places offer sales or special experiences on Valentine’s Day. The Minneapolis Institute of Art (which is free to visit) is giving out paper hearts to leave by your favorite works. If you like history, the Minnesota Historical Society has some events happening, including a Valentine's Day-themed tour of the James J. Hill House, decked out in full Gilded Age glory. Pizza Lucé is donating dessert sales to the Animal Humane Society and the Animal Allies Humane Society, in case you want an extra justification for ordering pizza and dessert. On campus, SEEK is hosting events, including bracelet making on Monday, Feb. 12, in The Pulse 6:30-7 p.m. On Tuesday, Feb. 13, SEEK will present drag trivia in the CdC ballroom 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and Valentine’s Day crafts in The Pulse 6-8 p.m.
You can also recycle date ideas to do by yourself or with friends — there is no reason that you have to do them with a significant other. You could also just have a night in, grab food, watch a show with friends and play your favorite video game. Most years a friend and I get together online to play Stardew Valley for an hour or so.
One of my favorite things to do is buy myself flowers. Sure, it’s a little thing I can do any time of the year, but Valentine’s Day is an excellent opportunity to find nice flowers and put them on display. Most years, February is all dreary gray — instead of dreary brown like this year — and I find buying myself Valentine’s flowers is a fun way to brighten up the room.
This is Dan the Daffodil. I grabbed it on sale just after Valentine’s Day three years ago, and Dan’s still alive despite going overboard with growth last month. Please ignore Dan’s half-dead neighbor; that one didn’t respond well to getting repotted.
This year I decided to pick up a cyclamen plant which currently lives next to my basil plant in the kitchen.
Another fun thing that I like to do is make strawberry scones the weekend before so I have a Valentine's Day-themed treat during the week. Admittedly, some years, I just buy muffins as I am not very good at making scones. Of course, it doesn’t have to be scones or muffins — it can be any type of “treat” that you enjoy, including a dinner you don’t have often. The point of it is to treat yourself and enjoy the day.
I completely forgot to do the glaze this year because the dough for the scones was being uncooperative in a new way. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the scones look like as long as they taste good.
I’m sure a lot of us have memories of Valentine’s Day in elementary school: Writing up all those little valentines for everyone in your class, making decorated “mailboxes,” maybe eating little candy snacks and, if you went to my school, watching people put sprinkles in water to dye it pink. If you don’t have a date, then why not re-embrace the childhood fun of Valentine’s Day? Go do something fun and connect with loved ones. Or, spend the day by yourself and sit on your bed watching movies while eating chocolate.
