What to do when you’re bored on Valentine’s Day
Whether you’re planning to spend February 14 with your partner, your friends, your family, or yourself, this is the perfect guide for you.
Treat yourself with an extraordinary ordinary day
Prekshaa Surana, Associate News Editor
Valentine’s Day has a way of making things louder. It announces its arrival with bright red roses, decorated dinners, and romantic dates for couples. It projects the underlying assumption that in order for love to be real, it needs to be witnessed. And if you’re not holding someone’s hand on Valentine’s Day, you’ve somehow got it all wrong.
Although this year, maybe it’s worth considering a solo date.
This is not because you’re “bitter” or giving up on romantic relationships, but because there is something quietly radical, rebellious, and rewarding about choosing yourself on a day typically meant for choosing others. Rather than frantically searching for someone to pour your energy towards, why not pour it into yourself?
A solo date isn’t a consolation prize. It’s not a placeholder until someone better arrives. It’s a deliberate act of presence. Of dressing up without an audience. Of ordering dessert just because you want it. Of walking into a café, a bookstore, a movie theatre, anywhere you like, and realizing you don’t need to perform closeness to feel fulfilled. There’s a softness in that kind of autonomy.
It doesn’t need a Pinterest board or a grand plan. It can be as simple as dressing up for no reason, ordering the drink you usually talk yourself out of, or wandering into a bookstore with no intention of buying anything, until you do. Maybe it’s watching a movie alone and realizing how freeing it is not to hear someone’s commentary. Maybe it’s sitting at a café, people-watching, romanticizing your life a little. The point isn’t productivity or self-improvement; it’s curiosity and letting yourself enjoy things without turning them into a statement.
On my solo date, I’m listening to the clink of cutlery, to my own thoughts, to the version of myself that usually gets drowned out by expectations. I notice what I like when I’m not performing. I can stay longer if I want. I can leave early if I feel like it. I’m not compromising, negotiating, or explaining my choices. And that feels quiet, yet powerful.
So no, this isn’t a rejection of romance. It’s a redefinition. Love doesn’t have to be loud, public or pink-washed to be real. Sometimes, it could look like taking yourself out on Valentine’s Day, smiling at your reflection in the mirror, and realizing how nourishing it can be when providing that connection for yourself. That might be the most romantic thing of all.
Host an impeccable Galentine’s Day
Audrey Thilloy, Contributor
For those who don’t know, Galentine’s Day is a holiday made up by Leslie Knope from Parks & Recreation. It takes place the day before Valentine’s Day, and it is all about celebrating platonic friendships and love in your life.
At its core, it’s really just an excuse to get together with your friends, eat good food, drink fun drinks, and spend quality time together. However, building community outside of romantic relationships is an important part of self-care. Most people go the more traditional brunch route, but if you’re looking to switch things up, here are some ideas.
1) Choose a theme to set the vibe
A cohesive theme instantly makes the celebration feel more exciting. You can go classic with pink and red everything and hearts everywhere, or try a retro decade vibe like the seventies or nineties. Activity-based themes like a high-tea gathering with pastries and teacups, a spa day with robes and face masks, or a “My Favourite Things” swap party where everyone shares items that they love.
2) Get creative with hands-on activities
Nothing brings people together like trying something new (and sometimes looking foolish in the process). You could host a paint and sip night—or paint each other’s portraits with rudimentary styles. Alternatively, candle-making or perfume-making at a local studio. Creating your custom scent might just be the key to spicing up your Galentine’s. Jewelry-making and flower-arranging workshops are other fun, relaxing options.
3) Do a challenge night
One idea is a “chopped-style” cooking competition using mystery ingredients to see who can create the best dish. If cooking is your worst nightmare, you could stick to a more grounding activity, like a blind book exchange, where everyone wraps a book and writes clues on the outside for a preview before swapping. Challenging yourself to read something you normally wouldn’t pick up could bring much novelty and inspiration!
4) Capture the memories
Set up a cute photo corner with props, balloons, fairy lights, and a themed backdrop. You can dress up to match the theme and take fun group and solo pictures. It’s an easy way to make memories and also get Instagram-worthy content. Don’t forget to thank your friend with the digital camera!
5) Bring back the sleepover energy
Recreate childhood slumber parties with face masks, board games, comfort food, and movies. Or elevate things with a game night featuring charades, Pictionary, trivia about your friend group, or even a full murder mystery dinner party.
At the end of the day, Galentine’s Day isn’t about being single or avoiding romance: it’s about celebrating the people who support and show up for you. No matter what you decide to do, the most important part is taking the time to be with the people you love.
My secret weapon for an endless list of refreshing date ideas
Michaela Dimitrov, Contributor
You might have heard of “alphabet dates.” My boyfriend and I have integrated this simple yet exciting system into our relationship. It’s quite easy: plan a date activity where its name starts with a certain alphabet and repeat this in alphabetical order. For example, start with the letter A. The activity could be Asian cuisine, apple-picking, or acting. And for the next date, choose an activity that starts with the letter B. It could be boba, books, or building something.
Many ideas stemmed from these alphabetical dates and encouraged my partner and me to put our creativity to use. For example, build a LEGO set or a mini kit. This could outline how well you and a partner work together. It might even reveal some interesting features in your relationship dynamics, such as who tends to lead or how work is divided between the two.
Another activity inspired by alphabetic dates is acting. For example, employ scenarios, such as pretending that you and your partner are on a first date, acting shy and awkward. Some other fun roles you could play with are a married couple, lawyers, business partners, exes getting back together, or “popular kid dating a nerd.”
A Pandora’s box of fun
My boyfriend and I once went on a date inspired by the letter D. We agreed to host a mini drawing competition between us at a donut shop. We brought paper and pencils, and I found a picture of a purple water lily for us to reference. Since I am experienced and love drawing flowers, I knew it would be easy for me, while my boyfriend would struggle, leading to a comical experience.
I watched him attempting to get the ratios right and tried his hardest to illustrate each petal as the same size and height. After that, we took turns picking different drawing inspirations and recreating them. In the end, we scored each other fairly and asked a friend, who is an artist, to anonymously score our drawings.
Up until this date, my boyfriend still jokes that he is a great artist, and he was only faking his inability to draw to make me feel better. The experience created great memories for both of us and contributed to many laughters in our relationship.
All in all, I highly recommend alphabetic dating. It will likely inspire bonding and humorous moments in your relationship as it has for my boyfriend and me!
