Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day– the holiday that all of us single ladies and men look forward to every year. Celebrating a holiday for lovers makes those hesitant-relationship gurus feel a little left out, but there’s numerous ways to resolve the situation. Here are a few suggestions for enjoying the day in the future.

Celebrate Gal-entine’s Day: For all those women (or men) out there who have decided not to waste their time dating in high school, spending time with your best gal-pals (or other friends) can fulfill that want of love. Giving each other presents, like chocolates or gift cards, or just indulging in a simple movie night will help alleviate the pain of spending the day alone. Spend it with your best friends instead.

Avoid the stores: After New Year’s, avoid the grocery stores, especially the candy aisles, or your local Walgreens, at the corner of being sad and obese. Seeing all the cute bears and candies you will not be receiving this year can be disheartening for the next month or two. It also can lead to a common situation in which we all gain weight due to eating the candy and chocolates we’ve bought ourselves to drown out the singles’ tears and sorrows.

Hit on all the singles: Subtly flirt with someone, even if it’s just for a day. The slightest attention can be appealing, and the loneliness of Valentine’s Day will most definitely get a reaction back. Now, I’m not saying it’s going to be the reaction you’re seeking, but it will be in some shape or form attention back. Note, though, this does not mean people will be open to this kind of attention for the rest of the year.

Spend time with your mom: There’s no shame spending the holiday with your mom. As your mother, it is her everyday roll to love you no matter the situation, so if all else fails, she’ll be your Valentine’s date in a heartbeat. She’ll shower you with love, maybe laugh at you a bit, but she’ll for sure comfort you and your loneliness. It might help to give a little gift or pitch in for that dinner since she is wasting her time on her child rather than spending it with her partner.

Just don’t celebrate: We all have holidays we pay more attention to, and Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be one. There’s plenty of people who ignore the fact that there’s a holiday on Feb. 14, so why not be one of them? Binging on a show and eating pizza and popcorn can always be a good decision, so it only makes sense to ignore the day and all of the lovers out there. Calling another single friend can also be a benefit to the day; make it a regular hang out day with friends.

All in all, you do not have to celebrate the holiday made for lovers, but if you choose to recognize the holiday or be ever so lucky to have a companion on Feb. 14, enjoy the day. The day only comes once every year, and maybe the next year there will be “the one” for you. In the meantime, rather than being completely bitter, which is always an option, treat yourself to a dinner, movie or some candies that will fulfill the gaping hole in your heart on a single’s Valentine’s Day.