Ever heard of the legends about St. Valentine? The most popular one says that St. Valentine performed secret and forbidden marriages for young couples in ancient Rome. Apparently, Emperor Claudius II thought single + childless men made for great soldiers, so he made it illegal for young men to get married. Ignoring the Emperor’s decree, St. Valentine chose to give couples a chance and was eventually put to death for it. Talk about a hopeless romantic! Remembering how Valentine’s Day started may give you more reason to celebrate it! 

You deserve to celebrate yourself on Valentine’s Day, even if self-love doesn’t come naturally throughout the year. It’s the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a present, in any shape or form that makes you happy! You don’t need to wait for someone else to show how much they love you; you’ve got you! You’ll be getting exactly what you want, whether it be a massage, your favorite dinner, or a shopping spree. So get out there and treat yo self! 

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Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be celebrated with a romantic partner alone. Even if you’re married, engaged, dating or single, the opportunity to spend time with lots of people you love is just one of the many reasons you should celebrate Valentine’s Day. In our experience, dressing up, eating delicious food, and having hilarious conversations with friends always trumps spending February 14th with just one other person. But there’s nothing wrong with going out with your partner too, so dress yourself up and go celebrate each other! 

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On the other hand, there is also nothing wrong with a cozy Valentine’s Day with some delicious food, favorite soda, Netflix, and a quality pair of sweatpants. If all your friends are planning to spend Valentine’s Day as couples, and you don’t feel like venturing out during one of the most crowded days of the year, then stay home and celebrate! Have an awesome, super chill night surrounded by your personal favorite indulgences. This could be done by yourself, your partner, roommates or best gal friends! The point is to celebrate the love you have for those you’re with. 

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There are so many people in your life that need to feel your love ~ so why not celebrate them on Valentine’s Day? If you have a wonderful partner, or wonderful kids, co-workers, friends, siblings, parents, etc. it’s important to show appreciation for them! Life gets way busy so it’s easy to take those you love for granted. Let that be a reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day! You don’t even have to buy them a gift or take them out, but find your own way to celebrate having them in your life and give you both a reason to feel happy during love month.