Valentine’s Day’s publicist has worked overtime for us to believe it’s a romantic holiday, but that’s just on facet of love worth celebrating. For me, I have always seen the day as a chance to cherish friendships and loved ones. For over half my life, I didn’t have someone romantic to spend the holiday with and that helped me realize what a lovely day it is to share with friends.
There are many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your friends. Here are a few ideas:
- Have a potluck dinner: Invite your friends over for a potluck dinner where each person brings a dish to share. This is a great way to bond over food and conversation. For added fun, have a theme like everyone brings a dish cooked in a Disney film or romantic comedy. Just not that blue soup from Bridget Jones PLEASE!
- Have a movie marathon: Gather your friends together for a movie marathon of your favorite romantic comedies or romantic films. Set out fidget things for your antsy friends who don’t knit.
- Have a spa day: Treat yourself and your friends to a spa day. Book a spa treatment or do DIY spa treatments at home. On a budget, it can be a BYO event with each friend bringing their own clay mask or moisturising treatment. Don’t forget to play Enya in the background for spa vibes.
- Host a game night: Plan a fun game night with your friends. Play games like charades, Pictionary, or board games. Not everyone loves board games, but if you have a few options and choose together, it may go a long way toward finding the fun.
- Go on a group trip: Plan a group trip to a nearby city or tourist spot. This is a great way to bond and create new memories with your friends. This one requires more advanced planning and budgeting, but is totally possible. And until the trip occurs, you can do video chats to plan and stay in touch.
- Have a Galentine’s Day party: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your female friends. You can have a brunch, spa day, or a get together at home with your favourite snacks and drinks. I highly recommend buying a massive jar of Maraschino cherries because added to any drink it is instantly 327% more festive and fun.
- Go out for dinner or brunch: Make a reservation at a nice restaurant and go out for dinner or brunch with your friends. This one also takes a bit of planning and budget, but can be done. You can also host a brunch if you have a waffle machine or the budget to hire a chef for the morning.
- Volunteer together: Give back to the community by volunteering together at a local charity or organization on Valentine’s Day. Who doesn’t love making the world a better place by sharing your smile and kindness? Just don’t film it for social media. Cringe.
Whatever you choose to do, the most important thing is to spend quality time with your friends and make lasting memories together.