Making Valentine's Day great with or without a date

For some, Valentine's Day is for flowers, candy and a date with a certain special someone. For others, well, let's just say cupid has been too busy lately. Feb. 14 is just not as fun for the single people of the world. But everybody should be happy on a day that celebrates love – after all, it is love that makes the world go ‘round, right?

People seem to be spending a lot of money for this love. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), men spend $125.96 on Valentine's Day in contrast with the $38.22 that women spend. Approximately $1.09 billion was spent on Valentine's candy last year. Upwards of 36 million heart shaped boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine's Day alone. With all this spending, people better be having a good time.

A Dream Date

The couples out there are spending most of this money. For them, this means either giving or receiving the mouth-watering chocolate that comes wrapped in a cute heart with a ribbon, a dozen roses, and a romantic evening shared with your one and only.

Senior Marcus Harold loves the idea of a romantic date. "Start off with a really nice restaurant where you have to dress up and get a table in a corner where no one else is around so you can talk," he suggests for the perfect night out. "Have some candles lit too."

An element of surprise is also needed for a wonderful Valentine's Day date. "When you take her home, give her a kiss goodbye. Then pull flowers from out of nowhere," Harold says.

Turns out that, along with Harold, 65.3 percent of men also plan to send flowers to their Valentine on the 14, which makes for roughly 156 million roses being sold, according to the NRF and Aboutflowers.com.

Other blazers think that the surprise should be on a grander scale. "If you've been going out for a long time the guy should propose," says sophomore Emma Hutchinson jokingly.

Along with a surprise element, a perfect date should also be creative and thoughtful according to junior Christina Ji. "We would go to the zoo and go to the monkey house because that is my favorite spot there. Then he should take me to Chipotle," she says with excitement.

The Single Folks

As Feb. 14 rolls around singletons everywhere can be seen desperately attempting to get a date for the Cupid's special day. But if you don't get a date, it is important to know that there is still fun out there just waiting to be had.

Besides, misery loves company, so just remember that there are ways to escape a day made for Hallmark, which largely benefits from their Valentine's Day sales. Last year Americans spent $937.5 million on cards for this special day. But without anyone specific to buy a card for many blazers say that the key to a perfect Valentine's Day is to spend it with friends.

Junior Lena Moreno agrees whole-heartedly. "You definitely have to spend Valentine's Day with your friends," she says. "Some dancing is also necessary."

Singles dancing may even occur at a great Valentine's Day party. "You should have a party like the one on The OC where every guy puts their watch in a bowl and the girls pick one out. Whoever that watch belongs to will be the girl's date for the night," junior Dan Cate suggests with an ear-to-ear grin.

Others opt for an approach involving more downtime and more food. "Eat some ice cream and watch a bunch of chick flicks," sophomore Jonah Gold says.

Whether you "sabotage dates with water balloons"- a favorite pastime of Moreno - or attend a fun party, Valentine's Day can be great even if you don't have a date.