There are numerous holidays that celebrate love and family, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the one that rules them all; Valentine’s Day.
As we all know, Valentine’s Day is the day to celebrate being in a relationship or the love you share with someone else. The reds, pinks, and purple that adorn all the shops that sell flowers, candy, and stuffed teddy bears for February 14th’s upcoming celebration are hard to ignore, especially if you are single.
Well, we are here to tell you that being single isn’t so bad either, and now we finally have a day that we can celebrate our singledom and be proud of it. That day is Singles Day, which is celebrated annually on November 11th. Now we single folk finally have a day where we can proudly celebrate being single and ready to mingle.
And you should be able to celebrate your #singlelife too. We’ve broken down exactly what Singles Day is and why you should treat yourself on this new holiday that deserves just as much attention as its famous predecessor. Check out below to learn more about this new holiday and some gift ideas for yourself to celebrate the occasion.
When Did Singles Day Start?
Singles Day’s origins actually started in China. Back in 1993, a bunch of students from Nanjing University found themselves single but not wanting to mingle like the rest of their friends. Instead of letting their single status get them down, they decided to do something about it and put a positive twist on something that is typically considered negative.
They decided on the date, 11/11, because it appears as four single sticks that are grouped together, trying to make the most out of their situation.
Thus began the holiday to challenge Valentine’s Day. Word caught on around to other universities and the new holiday took off with those who were single and tired of not having a holiday for themselves.
Eventually, companies caught on and saw how they could get in on celebrating this novel holiday. In 2009, a successful online business launched its first Singles Day sale, and it did so well that sales beat out their Cyber Monday sales that followed weeks later. From then on out, the holiday caught on internationally, and now it’s celebrated by all single-loving people everywhere.
Celebration of Self Care and Self Love
Although Singles Day is typically known for being a sort of shopping extravaganza, similar to Black Friday, it’s cultural meaning has definitely expanded as a holiday not only to celebrate being single but a celebration of self-care and self-love. Because Singles Day is about the self, it’s no wonder that it expanded further for mental health and well being. Singles Day is all about celebrating that being single is totally cool and that you deserve to celebrate yourself no matter what your relationship status.
So, even if you don’t necessarily identify as single and want to get in on the Singles Day festivities, you definitely can. Use the day as a celebration of you and how awesome you are. Treat yourself to a warm bubble bath, a spa day, or even an at-home mani-pedi. You definitely deserve to treat yourself too.
Gift Ideas
Now that we have convinced you to start marking Singles Day on your calendar, let’s turn our attention to some fun and personalized gifts you can get to treat yourself. We’ve selected a couple of gift options that we feel are a great way to celebrate you and your own personal style:
- Personalized jewelry – Getting a personalized piece of jewelry is always a great way to celebrate yourself. Whether you decide on a simple bar necklace with your name or birthdate, a bracelet with your birth flower on it, or even an engraved ring with your initials, selecting a personalized piece that is designed specifically for you, you can’t help but feel special.
- Indulge in your favorite treats – Who says only couples can have chocolates and flowers? For Singles Day, you definitely can too. There is no better way to celebrate a holiday about you and what you like than by getting some of your favorite treats to indulge in. Splurge on a fancy charcuterie board, crack open that vintage bottle of wine you’ve been saving for the right occasion, or try out a new dish you haven’t found the right time to make. The best part of treating yourself with your favorite treats on Singles Day? You don’t have to share it with anyone else but yourself.
- Splurge on some new tech – One of the best ways to treat your solo needs is by getting a new tech device that you can enjoy. Whether this is a new phone or a new tablet, try getting something that you know that you will be the only one using so you can really enjoy the perk of having it. Maybe you’ve been thinking about getting a new smart TV for your bedroom, or you’ve been eyeing that new tablet. Either way, get something that you can comfortably binge-watch all your favorite TV and movies on. Think of it as a date night with yourself.
- Pick out a new wardrobe – If amping up your style is more to your liking, use Singles Day as an excuse to buy a new wardrobe to spice up your style. Many name brand clothing companies have started adopting Singles Day and even have great deals. Some are even better than Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Keep a close eye on your favorite designer brands for sales happening that day and use that to let your inner fashionista go wild.
There are plenty of gift options out there for you to select to make Singles Day the most special time for you to celebrate your loving and living your best single life. Whether it be a personalized piece of jewelry, indulging in your favorite decadent treats, or even a new tech device that you can enjoy all your streaming needs and keep up with all your social media.
With all of these great choices, you’re certainly bound to find something that will make you feel special on this very special day.
Why It’s Important To Celebrate Singles Day
Celebrating Singles Day is so important because we definitely need more excuses to celebrate ourselves on the regular.
It can be so easy to get wrapped up in everyone else’s lives or even comparing yourself to others, which is not good for your mental health. Celebrating Singles Day means putting the attention back on you, where it rightly deserves to go.
It is also a great holiday to celebrate any personal goals you have been working towards. For example, if you have been hitting the gym hard to meet a fitness goal, let Singles Day be the day where you reward yourself with some killer new gym shoes or a new workout outfit. Or maybe you just got dumped; use that day to treat and be kind to yourself and know it’s totally ok to be single. Since its creation, Singles Day has morphed into something more meaningful for you as an individual.
So, don’t think of Singles Day as a day that makes you feel that being single is glaringly obvious, because it definitely isn’t. Use Singles Day as a way to take back the negative connotations of being single and make it something positive for you.
With so many deals and gift ideas that you can splurge yourself on, you’ll be glad you did. In fact, we’re certain you’ll be looking forward to the day every year, regardless of whether you’re single or not. You definitely deserve it.
Sources
https://nationaltoday.com/singles-day/
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/13/alibabas-singles-day-shopping-event-in-southeast-asia-with-lazada.html
https://www.thestreet.com/how-to/singles-day-what-is-it-and-how-is-it-celebrated-15160642