Skip Valentine’s to celebrate yourself instead

Singles Awareness Day is usually celebrated Feb. 15 — but any day around Valentine’s will do.

Worried about not having that special someone to celebrate Valentine’s Day with? Have no fear, skip Valentine’s Day this year and celebrate Singles Awareness Day instead.

Singles Awareness Day is a fun holiday usually celebrated on Feb. 15, but it can be celebrated anytime around Valentine’s Day.

Like a foil for Valentine’s Day, this holiday is a way for people to celebrate being single and independent and also enjoy the discounted candy and gifts that follow Valentine’s Day, according to the official website.

There are all kinds of ways to celebrate Singles Awareness Day, such as buying discounted candy or having a night out with other single friends. Some people even like to go big and throw parties celebrating single people like local event planner Erica Simpson did in 2015.

“I wanted to people something to do and a place to go that had a bit of a sense of humor,” Simpson said.

The party that Simpson threw had everything from a DJ and dancing to fun drinks and baked goods.

“I wanted to show that being single can be fun, even on the biggest relationship day of the year,” said Simpson.

While being single on Valentine’s Day may seem like an oddity to some, according to the US Census, choosing to stay single longer is becoming a popular choice.

Currently in the US, the average age for men to get married is 29 while the average age for women is 26. In the 1950s the average age for men was 24 and the age for women was 20.

Simpson said the trend may be due to people wanting to figure themselves out before they try to be in a relationship with someone else.

“I’ve always heard people say you can’t be happy in a relationship unless you’re happy alone and I believe that,” Simpson said.

So don’t fret about being single on Valentine’s Day this year. Instead take time to celebrate yourself and enjoy some discounted chocolate with friends.