Top 5s - Days That Are Better Than Valentine's Day

$ack Murda

1.       Taco Tuesday

I feel that this doesn’t really need an explanation, but for those of you unaware: Tacos > everything.

2.       All Fridays ever

People count down days until Friday, there is one EVERY single week, people are not discriminated against for being single on Fridays, people can still eat candy on Fridays, people in relationships can still be happy together on Fridays without shoving it down everyone else’s throat.

3.       Christmas

Another candy holiday, single people still receive candy, and I love Christmas for the joy and family times it brings.

4.       Easter

More candy, but you have to work for it. I’m 27 and still have Easter Egg hunts because my life is awesome.

5.       Palentine’s

If you’re feeling lonely and single on Valentine’s Day, I’ve always had the greatest time celebrating with friends. They love you (hopefully unconditionally), they love chocolate (definitely unconditionally), and they love wine. I see no problem with this becoming the new holiday.

Dee Waldorf

So I try to participate in these Top 5 challenges because a) they’re fun and b) they get me writing, but for this one I’ve decided to go in a slightly different direction. Given the abysmal state of my love life/recent separation this should make sense. I hope you find it funny and take it with a shot of bitters.

Top 5 days that are better than Valentine’s:

The day before, the day after, today, tomorrow and basically any of the other 364 days of the year! Take yer pick! :P


Drew Sicola

I think I may be the odd one out here, in that I have a total soft spot for Valentine’s Day. It’s one of the few days where we’re encouraged to go the extra mile, where extravagant displays of appreciation aren’t alarming or absurd. And I love doing things like that - striking up the string quartet and embarrassing the hell out of someone I care about, sending ridiculous cards to tell my loved ones that they’re special. I feel like every other day there’s this emphasis on not showing too much, doing too much, going too far. Like it’s a weakness when we care about someone, or that telling them we care is to give them power over us. Personally, I don’t mind being that idiot standing on the front lawn with a boom box, blaring an 80s love anthem. But maybe that’s just me.

I’ll admit there are some pretty great days out there though. So here is my list:

1.       First day of summer

It’s always the start of something great. The year seems to speed up with so many events and even simple sunny afternoons are something to savour.

2.       Canada Day

For one thing, it’s a National holiday. Having a day off midsummer is a glorious thing. Also, how great is it to celebrate being Canadian? Be affable, drink too much and show some hoser pride! What’s not to love?

3.       Christmas

Family by the fireside, just happy to see one another and celebrate in the middle of winter’s bleakest days.

4.       Halloween

Candy and ghost stories. What more can you want?

5.       All Saints Day

If I’m not too mortally hungover from Halloween, the tradition which extends all the way back to antiquity (ok, to 1998) is to rock out to All Saints music and gorge myself on greasy hangover delicacies. And in spite of the fuzziness of my head, it’s always a great day.

Lizzy Tonnell

Any day is better than Valentine’s Day:

I support this Top 5s Topic. Valentine’s Day is the worst. I used to host a Valentine’s party every year for my single friends. We would eat ice cream and watch horrible romantic comedies. The parties became smaller and smaller every year. I don’t host them anymore. Most of my friends are married and have small daycares in their houses. They get excited about the prospect of having a diaper-free night with their hubby. I hate that word; “hubby”. It may be obvious that I am not the typical “let’s grow up, get married and have kids” kind of person…I’m kind of a feminist; I don’t partake in bra burning (Those things are bloody expensive!) but I am of the belief that a woman does not require a man in her life in order to be happy. So screw you Valentine’s Day and all your gushy, sappy, romantic, cheap teddy bear, box of chocolates, bouquet of red roses sh*t, I have better things to do.

Speaking of better things to do, I can think of a few better days than V-Day. Let’s see, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday minus February 14^th. All jokes aside though, here is a list of my Top 5 Days That Are Better Than Valentine’s Day:

1.       December 4^th

International Cookie Day. I’m a baker, what can I say?

2.       September 5^th

International Bacon Day. Umm it’s bacon.

3.       July 1^st

Canada Day. Go Canada!

4.       May something: Victoria Day.

Hooray long weekend and springtime!

5.       May something else: Mother’s Day.

I love my mom.

Emily Statler

The hard part to this one was narrowing it down. So many days to choose from, including getting a root canal or those glorious days on jury duty.

1.       St Patrick’s Day

Now here is a Saint whose veneration I will celebrate. No ticking time-bomb of wilted death roses, no romance or public displays of affection required. Just a splash of green and a dram of whiskey to make my day complete. While it is not a civic holiday, it’s my favourite nonetheless. Sláinte!

2.       Halloween

I might have to write an entire essay on the beauty of Halloween costumes. I love the home-made ones, the puns, the shamelessness, the creativity. Halloween has it all: dressing up, revelry and something in the air that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It’s creepy, it’s fun, it’s way the hell better than flowers and obligations.

3.       Easter Sunday

There’s a great blonde joke about Easter and what it means. To me, it’s a day to belt out “Jesus Christ Superstar” with my mum, hunt chocolate eggs with my niece and nephews, eat ham and fresh buns with my dad and generally enjoy my boisterous family. The morbidity of Zombie Jesus Day aside, it’s got all the chocolate of Valentine’s Day with none of the sap.

4.       Festivus

Before Seinfeld came up with a great name and some solid party event ideas, there was the drunken celebration that we called Christmas Eve Eve on December 23, each year. The timing is ideal because everyone is back home and it’s a nice way to ignore the stress of the holidays.

5.       New Years Eve

Sure, New Years is usually a shitty night, with all of those expectations built up and the inevitable disappointment looming. But it’s great to start again, to look toward a new year. Also, pretty much any day is better than Valentine’s Day.