A Single Girl's Guide To Valentine's Day
I’m allergic to chocolate anyway.
by CHLOE HECHTER ★ FEBRUARY 10, 2021
In a slew of Valentine’s Day gift guides and an obnoxious amount of off-brand pink and red stuffed animals lining the shelves of every store, the single college girl is bound to feel the much-anticipated annual sense of dread. The flowers, the cards, the affection—and all we get is a post-chocolate binge breakout to mourn the loss of our failed talking stages.
At first, I was embarrassed by the simple fact that I’m writing this, but maybe it’s not embarrassing—maybe it’s empowering (cringe, sorry). Why is Valentine’s Day such a big deal? Not to sound like a Passover Seder, but why is this day different from any other? As opposed to making this piece a sob story about the best kind of chocolate for the broken-hearted and most appropriate movies to sob to, I’m going to provide a comprehensive guide on how to be single on the most inherently lovey-dovey day of the year.
Love goes far beyond romantic and sexual love, and we often forget that. My advice to the lovelorn single scrolling through a painful Insta feed filled with couples is to ~find the love~ in your life that comes from people other than a significant other. Yes, I’m aware of how absolutely lame and heartbreaking it is to be like, “Mom, will you be my Valentine,” but I’m just saying—love comes from your friends and family just as much, if not more than it would from your hypothetical partner.
This Valentine’s Day, tell someone you love them—it doesn’t have to be in that way. IMO, we should be telling each other that we love each other every day, because who doesn’t like to hear that? But given a holiday that’s intended to celebrate love, we single ladies deserve to feel just as special as those who are romantically involved.
Being a single gal on Valentine's Day doesn’t mean you have to do that burning gifts from ex-boyfriends ritual that we’ve definitely tried after seeing it on Friends. Why focus on missed connections from the past when you could look ahead and focus on what you DO have? Fall in love with yourself, your career, and your friends. Let’s not wallow in our own self-pity and throw a tear-soaked manifestation notebook into a pit of fire—let’s put on our hottest red (or any other color, because who made the rules?) outfit, gather our other single ladies, and turn social media off for the day.
Credit: Pinterest
This is all much easier said than done—trust me, this is coming from a girl who unironically owns a Valentine’s Day special edition Squishmallow and is a huge advocate for the love letter. But as I convince you to embrace your bad-bitchery and take this V-Day as an opportunity to spread love in a non-romantic way, I’m also convincing myself. While you’ll inevitably see many gift guides for couples in the upcoming days, here’s a gift guide for ~yourself~ and your best friends.
A disposable camera—to take cute retro photos of you and your friends.
Credit: Pinterest
Lock necklaces—an obsession as of late, on theme with Valentine’s Day, but will also compliment any outfit.
Credit: ASOS
Inspired by @thejarr on TikTok—make a jar. Check out TikTok for inspo and get your favorite snacks ready. 10/10 would recommend.
Credit: TikTok (@thejarr)
Sustainable Skincare Products—just because we’re single, doesn’t mean our skin shouldn’t look absolutely FLAWLESS. Sustainable skincare is projected to be all the rage in 2021, and we love healthy, eco-friendly ingredients!
Credit: thegoodtrade.com
A DVD player—who says DVDs are outdated in 2021? Get a portable DVD player on Amazon, get cozy, and watch your favorite old movies.
Credit: Pinterest
Cue up your favorite girl-band power anthem playlist, tell your mother you love her, and forget about the social construct and long-standing stigma that is Valentine’s Day. February 14 does not have to suck if you don’t have someone’s arms to fall asleep in. This is your sign to throw away the boyfriend pillow and throw yourself into self-love.
Cover photo credit: Pinterest (Refinery29)