How to Celebrate a Loner’s Valentine Day

February isn’t just for lovers—it’s for loners, too.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Yet another day manipulated by modern man to make us feel bad about ourselves or spend too much money on crap we don’t need. (Or both.)

And believe it or not, I’m a romantic!

I won’t be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year. Not because I’m single. Not because I’m lonely. But really, I just don’t care. My husband and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, nor do we celebrate our anniversary. We just celebrate life together.

Don’t worry—this is not a self-righteous speech on my rejection of commercialism, over-consumption, or materialism. (That’s here. And here.) I get it. People like to have fun! And sometimes in our spiraling world of moral decay, greed, and unspeakable political debauchery, clinging to these rosy, Hallmark holidays is all we have.

If that’s what you’re into, then I warmly raise my glass to you, and I want to make sure you have a seat at the table.

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be reserved for the kinds of people who post picture-perfect, candlelit dinners on Instagram—and then fight on the way home from the restaurant. Nor should it be reserved for couples who are actually, truly, honest-to-goodness in love. (Don’t they have enough as it is?)

If you’re starry-eyed, gooey-hearted, Taylor-Swift-encoded, and all-around gaga for the Big Grand Day of Love, then you should also partake—no matter what box you’re checking on your taxes just 60 days later.

By the way, let’s not be confused: Being a Loner doesn’t necessarily mean you’re single. After all, Loners aren’t anti-social. Loners don’t lack companionship. And (above all), Loners aren’t lonely. They just know how to find value in their own company.

• So maybe you’re single this year.
• Maybe you’re in a relationship, but your partner isn’t so hot on Valentine’s Day.
• Maybe you want to have fun, but you’re not really into the whole Galentine’s Day thing—or you don’t have a good group of girlfriends at the moment to celebrate with.

No matter your situation, sometimes the best Valentine’s Day gift you can receive is from yourself: a night dedicated to nothing but your own interests.

If the latest rom-com doesn’t enthuse you, let’s look beyond the stereotypical ideas for spending Valentine’s Day alone. Instead, here are six rejuvenating (non-cringey) ways to celebrate a Loner’s Valentine’s Day:

Related Posts:

• No Date? No Problem—A Guide to Dating Yourself in 2025
• 5 New Things I Want to Do Alone This Year
• Embrace Being a Loner—Why February Is the Perfect Time

1. Write love letters to your friends

Is there anything more romantic these days than receiving a letter in the mail?

I can’t be the only one dreaming about living a more analog life, and taking your best friends’ text conversations from the digital to the tactile is a perfect solo Valentine’s Day activity to give yourself (and your relationships) a break from screen time.

Sure, you could also plan a Valentine’s Day video chat with a long-distance friend—but wouldn’t a surprise, handwritten, made-with-love-in-every-syllable letter brighten their day just a little bit more?

To elevate your evening of correspondence even more, first take your time to meander through your local stationary shop to hand-pick calligraphy pens, glitter markers, stickers (paint? ribbon? stencils?), and as much crafty goodness as your heart desires to create a letter that truly surprises and delights.

2. Indulge in a bubble bath and wine

Insert that ubiquitous Julia Roberts meme here. Need I say more?

Surely, you need no convincing that a bubble bath is the salve to all the world’s ailments? A broken heart. Cold toes. Bored Sunday afternoons. And a Loner’s Valentine’s Day is no exception.

Growing up, my mom would always reference this 1978 commercial where an overwhelmed, overstimulated (and probably under-appreciated) woman stresses aloud about traffic, work, and parenting (has nothing changed?) before calling upon the magical bath powder: “Caglon, take me away!”

Then, over a B-roll of said woman indulging in a fluff, pillowy cloud of bubbles wafting from a not-so-quiet-luxury marble bath, the retro announcer tells us:

“Lose your cares in the luxury of a Calgon bath.” And then: “Lose yourself in luxury.”

Honestly, that tagline still holds up today. And I gotta say, Valentine’s Day or not, spending hours soaking in bath oils and salts with a candle or two lighting the way and a glass(es) of wine at your fingertips is pretty much always a good idea.

3. Plan a zero-social-interaction day

With remote work that follows you home and notifications that never stop, unplugging is really the only way to remove the digital shackles and regain some sense of stillness.

Even for diehard social butterflies, putting your relationships on pause for a day and spending a little time with just yourself can do wonders for your mental health (and as a byproduct, your physical health, too).

• For uninterrupted lounging with the security of knowing you can still check your messages, switch your phone to silent.
• For something a little closer to the cone of silence, activate airline mode—and resist the temptation to check in.
• For hard-core relaxing, completely power-down your phone. Instead, pick up a book. Veg out with a marathon of your comfort show. Make yourself an elaborate cocktail—or literally anything in this list of 100 self-care ideas that doesn’t involve obsessively checking your phone. (You can do it!)

4. Take yourself on a date

The quintessential single person’s Valentine’s Day activity.