How to Celebrate With Strangers on Valentine's Day

American culture touts Valentine's Day as a holiday reserved for couples only. If you're single or your loved one is far away, you don't have to sit in front of the TV with a bag of chips. Celebrate Valentine's Day with strangers--use the day of celebrating love to find a new love for the rest of the year!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Attend a religious service at the sanctuary of your choice. Valentine's Day began as homage to Saint Valentine, when he martyred himself rather than worship pagan gods. Honor his memory with prayer and fellowship.
2. Enjoy a martini at a high-end cocktail bar. Smile and make small talk with anyone in the vicinity.
3. Chat with strangers on the Internet. When it comes to online social networking, there's nothing and everything new under the sun. You might recall a bad match from a particular dating site, but you might not know about a like-minded online group devoted to your particular hobby.
4. Host a Valentine's Day party for all your friends, single or attached. The caveat is that each attendee must bring one unattached friend. You might make a love connection or just a bunch of new friends.
5. Show yourself some love and hit the gym. While others are binging on chocolate, you can do something for your body and spirit. Instead of keeping to yourself, work out with a trainer, take a class and ask fellow gym members for training tips.
6. Attend a speed dating or singles party. There aren't any false pretenses here. Everyone here wants to improve their next Valentine's Day.
7. Focus on making someone in need feel special. Send a care package to overseas troops. Volunteer at a children's hospital. Serve dinner at a soup kitchen. Giving feels so good, you won't miss the overblown commercialism of Valentine's Day.