Here we go, ladies and gentlemen! Here it comes by scary, thumping leaps and bounds. Valentine's Day, the much loved and hated American celebration of love that has slowly crept into Europe over the years. While men often aren't that into it, women can't wait and florists rub their hands with glee. Thank heavens they're open during the lockdown as well, otherwise all we'd get would be chocolates – not the best for the New year's diet. Nevertheless, Valentine's Day comes in a whole different flavour this year. Quite regrettably so.
Since all the restaurants, cinemas, theatres, wellness centres and whatever else we used to do in the normal times, are closed, we're left with only a few options to celebrate.
I don't see much chance for a romantic walk, as it's gonna be minus zillion degrees outside and due to our road crews' traditional incompetence we'd be wading waist-deep in snow anyway, getting frostbite and the flu, which everyone would mistake for the COVID, so this kind of "party" would make our lives miserable for days on end...
Tour de Home
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Připíjení víno. Source: archiv LP-Life.cz
Therefore, those who already have a partner can celebrate Valentine's Day unconventionally this year – by staying at home. Last year I noticed a few posts about celebrities enjoying at-home date nights with their SOs. They dress up to the nines and set out to Tour de Home – from appetizers in the kitchen through the main course in the living room to making out in the pantry and enjoying the dessert bundled up in bed in the bedroom. However, this was at the beginning of the pandemic, last spring. If these couples are still even together, I bet they can't stand each other, much less celebrate anything together. Still, you can use the lines above as a recipe for a nice date night, but remember – no cooking! Make sure to order takeout. Us women cook all the time; it would be nice to get a break once in a while.
Online dating
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Počítač. Source: Pixabay.com/geralt
Okay now, how about those poor singles like myself? Fear of getting infected has put a damper on online dating services, and if they still work, it's all about those basic physical needs anyway (what can I say... the lockdown has been too long already). So you gather up the courage and invite someone over, or accept someone's invitation, and pray they're not a complete loser. However, that's really a matter of taste, courage, luck, mood... They do say, though, that no risk means no reward, and there's no better time to risk than Valentine's Day, right?
Lately, I've heard about an interesting project called Your Love. It's a dating service ran by a handicapped man, who found the love of his life, a completely healthy woman, through a dating service, and ended up marrying her. Thanks to this lucky coincidence, he now runs a dating service helping the handicapped find their soulmates. This story really touched me, but then again, Valentine's always makes me so emotional...
Antidepressants and booze
If we don't have a mate and are not willing to risk a ruined evening in the company of someone who's far less awesome in person than in photos and chat, there's still one last option, and that's cracking open a bottle of high-grade adult drink and enjoying a TV or a book night. Let's face it, loving ourselves is what we need the most after all. And everyone could use a nice party by themselves – even though, thanks to the lockdown, it's about the 250th in a row.
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Žena s hrnkem.Source: Pixabay.com/silviarita
I'm joking, of course; however, there's a lot of people who, sadly, suffer from actual depression and anxiety due to being isolated. Even though therapists and psychiatrists are having a field day, all in all, it's a plague for many adults who don't handle isolation well and will have to deal with its consequences in the future. Thus, I urge all the singles, whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not – don't spend it alone. Be with someone you love, whether it's your mom, your neighbour or a colleague from work. It doesn't have to be intimate. Just bring a little happiness to both yourself and someone else, perhaps with a few flowers...
Keeping your spirit positive is important, now more than ever. Because if all this seems too long to you already, trust me, it's nowhere near the end. Love each other (and yourselves!) and let me know how you celebrated this year's Valentine's Day.
