It makes perfect sense for singles to feel irritated on Valentine’s Day – a holiday to celebrate relationships. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Being single is not something to get down in dumps over if you just look on the bright side.
You will save a lot of money by not having to buy presents.
The average person plans to spend $237 on assorted gifts: candy, flowers and jewelry. This is a rise of 5.8 percent from last year’s spending’s, according to a National Retail Federation survey conducted in January 2015.
Think about all the ramen noodles and marked-down, day-after Valentine’s chocolate you can buy with that. Who is winning now?
Look at something even more specific: flower prices.
At Conroy’s Flowers, at 4104 Lakewood Blvd., Long Beach, prices range from $39 for a basket of assorted pink roses and dianthuses, to $519 for 100 premium red roses.
Not everyone is a high-roller with the ability to afford the most expensive bouquet a florist shop can offer, and the cheapest options are usually still pricey.
Those prices may have just given your empty wallet a heart attack, unless you are single, of course.
Celine Castellano, a fourth year senior double majoring in psychology and human development, doesn’t see being single in a negative light.
“I think this holiday is very optional,” Castellano said. “Yeah, it’s meant for couples but it’s also supposed to be a loving holiday.”
She said that despite her relationship status at this time of the year, she loves herself. She takes time to appreciate her reasons for being single and why she is who she is.
Her reasoning is something singles should consider at anytime of the year, not just Valentine’s Day. Love yourself and compliment yourself while walking with your head held high as if Beyoncé were singing “Single Ladies” all about you.
If you still don’t see being single as something to smile about, there’s something college students can never seem to resist: alcohol.
Tom Bergin’s, a public house on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, is hosting its first anti-Valentine’s Day event, called Singles Awareness Day. SAD has a lot of potential considering the drink specials – “Black Velvets” and “The Bitter Old Fashioned” for $5 each.
“We expect a pretty strong turn out,” the pub’s general manager Jordan Delp said. “We will accept donations of ex’s clothes that somehow stayed in your closet after a breakup.”
On top of offering to burn your ex’s clothes and photos, a post on their Facebook page said they want their followers to share their worst date story for a chance to win a stay at the Hotel Wilshire.
So make a date with your single friends to celebrate what Valentine’s Day should really be about: personal freedom.