Single Pringle Guide to Embracing Valentine’s Not Just Surviving It

Valentine’s can feel like a surprisingly pressured time. The whole premise is to celebrate love freely, and yet for years I found myself avoiding it at all costs, whether I was single or dating.

From my experience, even when in a relationship, and I’m talking relationship not situationship, February 14^th has always been seen as an inconvenience.

Not to me, oh no, I need very little excuse to be fanciful and make a show of something, but for whoever I happened to be dating at the time.

We’ll pause here while we add another reason to growing list of reasons why Chelsea found that life was better single…

The so called holiday of love was frequently met with groans about it being a commercial ploy, overwhelming fears of commitment (I wanted a nice meal, not a ring, hun) and a line as classic as the red rose on valentines day…

 “Why do we need a special day to do something nice? We can do something nice any day of the week”

But did we?

Somewhere along the way, I realised I’d been letting other people’s reluctance dictate how I experienced a day that, at its core, is about love.

And isn’t that ironic, don’t you think?

So, now I’m no longer avoiding Valentine’s. I’m reframing it.

Because the essence of solo dates and doing more things alone has never been about isolation. It’s about celebration. It’s about choosing yourself with intention. And if there’s ever a day dedicated to love, why wouldn’t that include the love you have for your own life?

Whether you’re celebrating with your girls, your guy, your gays, or simply your gorgeous self, Valentine’s doesn’t belong to one version of love.

This isn’t about proving a point or making a statement. It’s not “look how empowered I am.” It’s about intention. It’s about deciding that if a day exists to celebrate love, you’re allowed to participate in it, in whatever way feels most like you.

And once I stopped seeing Valentine’s as something to survive, I started noticing something else entirely.

There are actually a few very underrated perks to being single on February 14th.

The Unexpected Perks of Being Single on Valentine’s

Shake up your weekly shop by turning the Valentines meal for two deal into a week’s worth of single pringle meals. Five nights of luxury pasta, garlic bread on demand, and zero negotiation. Bon appetite, mon Cherie

You get to avoid the astronomical charges of the Valentines tax. What do you mean an evening spa experience is £80 during the week but £240 on Valentine’s night?!

You can forget the performance pressure! No guessing what level of romance is “appropriate”. No pretending to be surprised, despite dropping more clues than Cluedo. No rehearsed gratitude, while you slyly rummage at the bottom of the bag for the gift receipt.

But beyond the perks, the real beauty of being single on Valentine’s is this: you get to decide what the day feels like.

Whether you want to lean into the romance, embrace comfort, or treat it like any other Thursday (but on purpose), here are a few ways to spend it, Single Pringle Style.

Romanticise the evening at a high-end bar

Book a seat at the bar somewhere with exceptional service, the kind of place where staff remember your drink order and make you feel like the main character, not the third wheel.

Order something indulgent. Champagne. A beautifully stirred cocktail. A little bar snack if you’re feeling it.

People-watch. Observe the couples. Smile knowingly. Leave when you feel like it. No expectations required.

Single Pringle recommends: Over & Above, Harrogate

Movie night, but elevated

Rent the film you’ve been saving, whip up your ultimate girl dinner, for me, it’s a charcuterie board that would probably serve two, but allows me to graze all evening, and slip into fresh PJs like you’re checking into a boutique hotel but without the mileage.

Light a candle. Do your slow skincare routine properly, not hurried between scenes. Let the evening feel intentional, not default.

Keep your hands busy

Head to Søstrene Grene for a little craft haul, paints, a canvas, maybe something unnecessarily cute and host your own paint-and-sip evening.

Pour a glass of something sparkling, put on a playlist that makes you feel soft and inspired, and create for the joy of it. There’s something grounding about keeping your hands busy, keeping you well away from the scroll hole and firmly in your own company.

Book the single seat

Grab that one seat at the cinema or go big at the theatre. Sit front and centre if you like. Lose yourself completely in the production without side-eyeing a plus one who insists on “whispering” commentary throughout.

There is something beautifully immersive about experiencing art alone. You don’t have to check in. You don’t have to discuss the plot twist immediately. You just feel it.

Being single on Valentine’s doesn’t mean opting out. It just means you get to define what celebration looks like.

And if a day exists to celebrate love, you’re allowed to be part of that story too.

No plus one required.