Each Friday the 13th carries a cursed and ominous feeling, but this year single people are facing February’s dreadful Friday the 14th. While some people spend the fourteenth gazing into the eyes of their significant other, many find themselves nonchalantly playing iMessage games like Cup Pong and 8 Ball while rewatching an episode of “The Office.” Although the holiday is an excellent day to make a grand gesture for your partner, it is equally as important to recognize the opportunities it offers for celebrating singlehood.

   “I don’t really ever treat Valentine’s Day differently than any other day, people always romanticize the holiday and use it to get candy and presents but if you really think about it, Valentine’s Day is just about love so that doesn’t mean it has to be a significant other. If I do something on that day it’s mostly just spending time with the people in my life who matter to me whether that be friends or family but typically it’s just like every other day for me,” Chloe Toper (11) said.

   Balancing busy schedules and having leisure becomes increasingly difficult for students, yet, the day serves the perfect opportunity to forget about the overwhelming amount of work that prevents you from treating yourself. Instead of having to rush to Stater Bros in the morning to pick out some tremendously innovative and notoriously expensive red roses and a teddy bear who’s wonder will only last for about 24 hours, treat yourself to a warm breakfast, go out for a walk, and welcome the quiet.

    “I like spending Valentine’s Day alone because you don’t have to deal with the same stress and expectations as people in relationships do. The holiday forces romance, sometimes unsolicited, and I like that I don’t have to worry about making grand gestures or buying someone a gift. I typically spend the holiday with friends, we hang out and eat candy,” Madeline Fait (12) said.

   Ultimately, what was once a holiday celebrated by people in romantic relationships, is now one that can be equally as celebrated in platonic relationships too. Whether it be between two friends, two siblings, or an owner giving an extra treat to a beloved pet, showing love on this day shouldn’t be limited to people in relationships. This year, you may not have a significant other to share it with, so kick back and relax with a face mask while you splurge on chocolate-covered strawberries, and keep yourself from adding to the painstaking day in which no one is safe from pairs who seem to be conjoined by their hands for 24 hours.