Celebrating with Others
Throw an anti-Valentine's bash. Why not throw a bash and limit it to people without a significant other? You could also include couples who are sick of the holiday (but not if they will ruin it with cuddling and other romantic overtures). Hand out black roses, play singles games, and have people exchange gag gifts. You may have heard of divorce parties, so why not borrow from the concept on Valentine's Day? Alternatively, have a theme that is pointedly not about Valentine's Day. For instance, a party with a color theme, Country Western, Marshmallow Appreciation Day....whatever. Order a Valentine's Day piñata, and let everyone take turns smacking it a time or two. Make sure there's something fun inside. Have fun with the drinks. How about a blood orange mojito? Spend some time developing fun anti-Valentine's Day invitations. You don't have to avoid red or pink or little hearts. You just have to have the right slogans on them. Custom-order candy hearts with sarcastic phrases about love and Cupid.
Order an anti-Valentine's Day cake. Or, if you prefer, you could order anti-Valentine's Day cupcakes. Give them out at work, to friends, or at a party you throw. You can find funny but sarcastic cupcake or cake toppers online and in some party stores. For example, a broken glitter heart would work. It's all in the slogan. Be funny, but not too mean. Cupid is stupid, love hurts, or other phrases are harmless fun. There are many anti-Valentine's Day cupcake recipes online. For example, some recommend creating a red licorice X on top of the cupcake. You could top the cake with black hearts or black roses. The color black is a great way to turn a red Valentine's Day cake or party into an anti-Valentine's Day message.
Invite someone out to dinner. This could be another single friend, a parent, or even a casual acquaintance you'd like to get to know better. You could enjoy a Valentine's Day special with someone who is not a romantic partner. Or you could see if any restaurants (or taverns) offer anti-Valentine's day events or dinners. Some do. There's no reason you can't spend Valentine's Day with someone you love in a family sense. Reach out to someone you know is lonely. Send them a bouquet or invite them over for dinner. There's power in numbers! Some more offbeat ideas include dressing up your pet for a dinner at home. You could even put a bow on the cat or dog.
Give gifts to your single friends. You may discover you're not alone. Half the world seems on cloud nine on Valentine's Day, but everyone else is down in the dumps or just hates the commercialism and expectations of the day. Lift up someone else's spirits with gifts for all your single friends. You can find anti-Valentine's Day mugs and T-shirts online. Wear the anti-Valentine's Day T-shirts out as a group, like you might at a bachelorette or bachelor's day party. You can also purchase anti-Valentine's Day cards online and in some stores. You can find many customized anti-Valentine's items online, and you can even find full relationship breakup kits for purchase.
Celebrate anti Valentine's Day as a couple. Don't assume only singletons hate Valentine's Day. Many people are sick of the holiday. Maybe your significant other is one of those people. You could send him or her a sarcastic anti-Valentine's Day card. Throw a couple's anti-Valentine's Day party for other couples and singles, who hate the holiday or are just sick of the glittery pink mush it conveys. Be aware though that some people really do care about Valentine's Day. If your partner is one of these people, why let your own sarcasm cause hurt feelings? Suck it up, and be nice. Appreciating other people's feelings can go a long way, and a lot of people just want to be remembered on Valentine's Day somehow.
Celebrating by Yourself
Play the right music. You're going to feel better if you play music with an anti-Valentine's Day vibe. This is true if you're sitting at home or if you're hosting a party. Many sites online have lists of anti-Valentine's Day songs. You don't have to spend the day listing to romantic mush on the radio. Some possibilities include Tainted Love by Soft Cell, You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette, What's Love Got to Do With it by Tina Turner, Since You've been Gone by Kelly Clarkson, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, No Action by Elvis Costelllo, and It's My Life by Bon Jovi. It's a good idea to choose songs that are about surviving or living life your own way. They will put you in a positive mood! When Bon Jovi sings, “Like Frankie said, 'I did it my way,'” you may feel empowered. Choose empowerment songs, not maudlin songs that will make you more depressed!
Enjoy a staycation. Check yourself into a posh local hotel for a staycation on Valentine's Day. Pamper yourself! Pick a hotel with a spa or at least a hot tub. Treat yourself to a massage or a facial. Spend the night reading a great book or watching movies on the hotel television. Take a long, hot bubble bath inside the hotel. This isn't the time to feel sorry for yourself. It's the time to make sure you take care of yourself. Order room service and, if you're on one, skip the diet for the day! Pamper yourself in a way you can't do at home with pets, bills, and other stresses.
Do something that's not commercial. One of the biggest raps on Valentine's Day is that the romance has been lost in the rush toward commercialism anyway. Go on a spiritual pilgrimage or spend the weekend away at the spa. Do something that helps create a stronger inner you. Take a cultural trip somewhere, either alone or with a friend. Explore the sites and sounds of a locale you've always wanted to visit. Visit someone else who's lonely, perhaps a grandparent, or, if you don't have one living, just go to a nursing home and spend some time with the older folks there. They will appreciate the attention.
Making a Statement
Sell stuff you got from your ex. Why do you need jewelry or other items that remind you of the person who left? Sell it! You could use Craigslist, eBay, or even head to the local pawn shop. Or if you really want to rub it in, try a specialty sale site that encourages people to get rid of stuff their ex gave them. Two of these sites are Never Liked it Anyway and Ex Boyfriend Jewelry. Some of the sites require or ask that you share your story, allowing you to get things off your chest. On some of these sites, engagement rings are especially popular. There are also sites where you can sell wedding packages if the event didn't take place. You could also sell your wedding dress online.
Send someone an anti-Valentine's Day card. Still smarting over a negative break up? Send the person an anti-Valentine's Day card. Don't do this, though, if it will cause problems or if the person has previously asked you to leave him or her alone. Anti-Valentine's Day actions should be harmless fun not creepy stalker behavior. A safer approach might be to just send an anti-Valentine's Day card to your other single friends! They may appreciate the laugh! Or send the card to yourself. At least you won't have to worry about not getting a card in the mail on Valentine's Day!
Reach out to the person you're thinking about. Okay, this isn't so much anti- Valentine's Day. It's anti-anti-Valentine's Day. But if there's someone you're thinking about, why not take a chance? It depends why and how it ended of course, and how long ago, and whether they've already got someone else new. Be aware that reaching out into the past can create the potential for more heartbreak. But if there's someone from long ago you've been thinking about, or some regret you have, why not express it? You might be surprised and learn that the person will welcome the contact. You could also send something to a secret crush.
Buy yourself a breakup gift. If you've recently broken up with someone, and that's why you're alone on Valentine's Day, buy yourself a breakup gift. It could be a piece of jewelry you've always wanted, a day at the spa, a trip somewhere you've always wanted to go, or a new purse. If you're a guy, you could buy yourself sports game tickets, a day at the spa, something for around the house, that book you've been meaning to read, a new stereo; the possibilities are endless. Wrap the gift, and go the whole nine yards. You're basically treating yourself. Look at the positives. You know better than anyone else does what you want most anyway.
Watch movies with no romance whatsoever in them. Have a movie or TV series marathon. Pick something without a romantic theme. Alternatively, watch movies with lots of romance such as Titanic; Encourage your guests to make snarky comments during it. Use a streaming service to binge watch that show that everyone else is always saying they're addicted to. You could also go to the movies. That's a good way to distract yourself, but, be aware, you might run into couples having a date night.
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