Love is universally celebrated on Valentine’s Day, but it seems like the hype surrounding the holiday often involves new love. Many couples who have not been together for a long time tend to plan extravagant dates and dinners and purchase expensive gifts for the night of Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, that is a great way to celebrate appreciation for one another. However, as someone who is about to spend my fifth Valentine’s Day with my significant other, I am running out of ideas and lacking excitement for the holiday. As a way of bringing that romance and excitement back to Valentine’s Day, here are some fun ideas to spend the holiday with a long-term significant other.
Make a Valentine-themed charcuterie board
This activity is a way to get creative with your significant other and bond over your love for food. You can stick to a classic meat and cheese board and shape your cured meats to look like roses, or you can take a different route by creating a dessert board with chocolates, pretzels and candies. Head to the grocery store with your partner, pick out all of your favorite treats and plan how to organize them on your board.
Enjoy a cozy indoor picnic
Your charcuterie board can be the centerpiece of this next idea, which is to plan a romantic picnic. If you are reading this, you are most likely living in a colder climate around the time of Valentine’s Day, so here are some tips for an indoor picnic. Set up some cozy blankets in front of your TV or fireplace. After making your favorite appetizers and cocktails, set them up on a tray and light some candles. Turn on a rom-com and order your favorite takeout for dinner — Chipotle, anyone? Fancy dinners may be the norm for Valentine’s Day, but an at-home picnic has the potential to be just as romantic.
Play a couple’s card game
There are plenty of card game options on the market when it comes to couples. Some incorporate deep questions to get to know your partner better, while others are based on the game of truth or dare and several are lighthearted drinking games. No matter which theme appeals to you, card games are a chill way to spend the holiday when you have already done the fancy dinners and expensive gifts in years past. They will also bring you closer together, whether it be through humor or deeper understandings of one another.
As long-term relationships inevitably become more comfortable over the years, these options may appeal to those who want to stay in this year and take the unnecessary pressure away from the holiday. However, if dressing up and gift-giving for Valentine’s Day excites you every year no matter how long you have been in a relationship, then you can do both! It is important to bond with your partner both in casual ways and by going out together. Hopefully these ideas will inspire you to celebrate the holiday in a new way this year!
