Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, with couples going on dates, and giving flowers and cheap chocolate, but what about single people? The day after Valentine’s Day – Saturday, February 15 – has been designated as Singles Awareness Day. It’s for people who don’t have a special someone on V-Day.

Valentine’s Day originated from both Christian and Roman Traditions. One legend says that St. Valentine was priest who served in Rome during the third century, when Emperor Claudius ll thought that single men made much better soldiers and outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine rebelled against this law and performed secret marriages for young lovers. When he was caught, he was beheaded by Claudius.

While he was in prison, some say, he sent out messages on leaves, shaped like Valentine hearts, creating the tradition of sending heart-shaped messages to loved ones on February 14.

There are several other stories about the holiday, including those found at https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valentines-Day.

Singles Awareness Day is a much more modern holiday. It was started in 2001, according to www.checkiday.com, by a Mississippi State University student named Dustin Barnes. “By placing Singles Awareness Day on the day after Valentine’s Day, the undertone of self-pity and sadness was removed from it, and it instead became more of a celebration and a day of pride,” the website says. On that day, single people can buy themselves flowers, travel or indulge in chocolate or a night out with friends.

Love can come from different sources, so those who are in a relationship may prefer Friday’s celebration of Valentine’s Day as a great way to kick off the weekend, while others may wait to do things with their friends, or alone, in honor of Single Awareness Day. It’s all up to the individual.