CHECK OUT SOME SWEET IDEAS FOR A VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION WITH LOVED ONES…
By Angelique Arintok, Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and many are excited to share this special day of love with their significant other. However, it’s also important to consider the love we share for our close friends. Spending Valentine’s Day with those who are with you through thick and thin is one of the best ways to celebrate this holiday. Here are a few heartfelt ideas to make this year’s celebration a memorable one.
Host a potluck dinner party: This is a great way to get friends together in an intimate and inviting location without fussing about reservations or other crowds. Sophomore Yasmin Jaramillo has this kind of plan in mind, “[my friends and I] usually have lunch or dinner together. It also depends on who is single and who is in a relationship,” she shared.
Although you think you’d have to work around friends with significant others, hosting a potluck can perfectly blend a mix of couples and singles alike. The potluck element not only saves money, but also saves the host massive time.
Enjoy a sweet treat: Take the Valentine’s Day adventures outside of your home, and explore dessert spots in the Northern Virginia area. Magnolia Dessert Bar & Coffee in Vienna is most recently known for their unique honey toast topped with fruit and French macarons. For those who have yet to hop onto the milk tea and boba bandwagon, Kung Fu Tea in Centreville is a perfect place to try something new. A visit to the local frozen yogurt shop can also seal a sweet tooth’s deal. Most places in the area serve beyond the conventional frozen yogurt by also offering waffle cones, crepes, and smoothies.
Sing your hearts out: Try something fun with a close group of friends, and venture into venues with private karaoke rooms. A relatively close location to Mason’s Fairfax campus is Cafe Musé in Annandale. Featured with a mixture of Asian cuisine and karaoke, time spent at Cafe Musé can pump up a Valentine’s celebration with friends. No matter your singing abilities, think about about what fun time you’d have rocking out to classic showtunes or rock and roll.
Binge watch a TV show, or go to a movie theater: Either make your Valentine’s celebration a night in watching shows on streaming platforms, or spend the night out at a movie theater. Television programs that have recently received critical buzz are “The End of the F***ing World,” “One Day at a Time,” “The Good Place,” and “Big Little Lies,”—just to name a few.
Junior Sydney Hook has her own personal traditions and connections with the sweet holiday; however, she said that “this year I think my best friend and I are going to see the new ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ movie.”
Think outside the box: Escape rooms are not exactly the most conventional venues for a Valentine’s Day gathering, but there’s no better opportunity to see how a team cleverly works together than solving a fictional life-or-death situation. Escape Room in Fairfax and Exit Plan in Leesburg are hot spots for this out-of-the-box outing.
Time well spent with loved ones is undeniably special, regardless of how you choose to spend Valentine’s Day. Save these ideas beyond your Feb. 14 festivities, and implement them on common days off or free weekends with friends, family, and significant others alike.
Graphic by Billy Ferguson
