“HOW TO SURVIVE” is a somewhat weekly series written by Rachel Seo on how to survive things like permit tests, long lectures, and Valentine’s Day. It’s partially sarcastic, partially helpful, and a whole lot of fun. 

“It’s not a real holiday.”

“Single Awareness Day!”
“Pizza is bae!”

“It’s not Valentine’s Day, it’s Galentine’s Day!”

Whether you like it or not, Valentine’s Day is coming up, and with it comes all the baggage, positive and negative, that is somehow attached to the meaning of love. Luckily, there are ways to evade the onslaught of societal expectations when it comes to celebrating this infamous holiday.

ONE – EAT LOTS OF CHOCOLATE

What’s Valentine’s Day without chocolate? Even if you don’t have a significant other, Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to use if you’re a fellow chocolate lover. Call some of your friends and have a giant chocolate party. Smear it on your faces. Slurp it up through straws. Drizzle it over your pancakes. Valentine’s Day is one of the only days of the year when it’s socially acceptable to eat a lot of chocolate…so take advantage of it!

TWO – DON’T CELEBRATE IT

Who said that Valentine’s Day HAS to be celebrated? As someone who has lived through sixteen of them, I can attest to the fact that I honestly do not care how I spend it. For all I know, it could be a normal, productive day. Why spend it moping around binging on junk food when you could be at the gym? Why binge-watch a bunch of movies when you could be doing your homework?

Who am I kidding.

THREE – CELEBRATE IT EVEN IF YOU’RE SINGLE

Valentine’s Day does just have to be for the people who are “taken.” Even if you’re not in a relationship, you can still celebrate it. Go out to dinner with your best (single) friends! Buy chocolates for all your family members! While “love” might have a romantic connotation, in reality it could apply to all aspects of life. Don’t you love your mother? Your brother? Your aunt? Your cousins? Do something nice for someone else. Dress up a little bit for yourself. Celebrate the fact that you don’t have extra emotional baggage.

FOUR – USE IT AS AN EXCUSE TO TREAT YOURSELF

Been eyeing that pair of shoes for a while now? Use that extra little bit of dough you have left from Christmas or New Year’s and treat yourself. The chocolate is half-price now? Go for it. Always wanted to see Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Go see it wearing your new shoes and eat your half-priced chocolate while in the movie theater. It’s all right to celebrate once in a while.
Valentine’s Day might not be a federal holiday, and it’s not a particularly important one. There are other reasons and ways to celebrate it, and for some like Isaiah Seo (9), it’s not only Valentine’s Day, but like also “the day the NBA All-Star game is on TV.” However, whether you’re taken or single, male or female, there are ways to survive the twenty-four-hour period. Have fun, don’t worry, and be happy.