As we move deeper into February, a new atmosphere enters the air — heart-shaped chocolates are on the front display of every grocery store, the pungent scent of roses wafts through the dying winter and subtle instrumentals arouse peaceful intimacy. That’s right, Valentine’s Day is coming. Now, despite the cozy atmosphere that is associated with this time of the year, one worrying thought – which is different from decades prior – must be lingering on everyone’s mind: how can one enjoy Valentine’s Day under COVID safety protocols? To assist in achieving a romantic holiday even under these peculiar circumstances, here are five ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day at home.
Create a Scrapbook Together
Creating a scrapbook is the perfect way to spend time with your significant other. By dedicating your time to an activity that intends to preserve and present the history of your relationship, you can reflect on the times you’ve shared together in quarantine. Additionally, you can compile a playlist of your favourite songs and listen along as you craft the scrapbook together.
To add an element of surprise and mystery to the event, you can each preselect photos, poems and quotes that you would like to add, then reveal them to one another throughout the night. Lastly, if you’ve already made plenty of scrapbooks and don’t find them interesting, try switching the theme of the scrapbook. For example, you can make a 15th-century love-themed scrapbook. These were particularly relevant in England and were a compendium of recipes, letters, poems and quotes. What made these so unique was the contents of the scrapbook always pertained to the artist’s interests. So whether you and your partner are into westerns or horror, you can make a scrapbook under that aesthetic and style. The options when crafting a scrapbook are endless, and with enough creativity, you can easily work away the hours.
Love Themed Baking
Much like creating a scrapbook, love-themed baking is a great way to bond with your partner for hours. With the easy contortion of dough, this is the perfect opportunity to mould pastries into hearts, quotes, special dates, roses and anything else that pertains to Valentine’s Day. Furthermore, the process of baking can be made into a revelatory experience by having both of you share family recipes. This can transcend the activity of baking and provide a gateway to knowing more about each other’s backgrounds. If neither of you knows how to bake, there are many collections of Valentine’s Day dessert recipes online that you and your significant other can learn together.
Movie Night
Lately, Netflix has been releasing an abundance of content, much of which can be used to create the perfect night in with your partner. Grab some cozy blankets, light the room with scented candles and compile a list of shows or movies that can keep you and your partner enthralled. If you’re looking into a movie that fits the holiday, I recommend The Notebook. But, if you and your partner are reminiscing about the gloomy days of October even in the season of love, then All of Us are Dead or The House might be up your alley. The options are endless and with the right planning, you can be up all night.
Have a Spa Day
Those who are hoping to just relax after midterms and can’t be bothered to do any strenuous Valentine’s Day preparation might be inclined to have a simple spa day. All that’s needed is a hot tub with a bath bomb and some scented candles, while you lay down with a facial mask applied. In the background, you can have soft instrumental music playing along with a tray of hot tea and your favourite sweets by your side. After you have all these materials, you should be free to relax for hours on end.
Board Game Olympics
If you and your partner are in the competitive spirit, then perhaps you could create a tournament for yourselves involving board games. Sit down, have an array of board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, or two-person D&D and play sets of games with each board, tallying each win, then at the end count up the scores to see who won. Or, if neither of you have board games, a good alternative would be to download new multiplayer mobile games or have a tournament of your favourite video game.
