Valentine’s Day typically sees couples put on romantic displays of affection to show their love for one another.
However, there are alternatives for those who are not fans of Valentine’s Day, as businesses across the UK are organizing events and activities for people who do not embrace the holiday.
The Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Programme came up with a unique idea by allowing single individuals to buy a rat named after their ex-partner. The rat will then be fed to an owl in return for a small donation.
The post read: ‘Are you ready for Valentine’s Day? For those of you who may not be in the most romantic spirits, we have something for you.
‘Our no regRATS Valentine’s Day fundraiser is on! Don’t have any regRATS this Valentine’s Day, feed your ex to an owl.’
‘You will receive an email with a photo of your rat and the owl it was fed to on Valentine’s Day.’
A TikTok user named Georgiana, also known as @hrhgeorgiana, shared a clever way to mark Valentine’s Day for those who harbor negative feelings towards their past relationships. She suggested naming a cockroach after an ex-partner as a way to symbolize making them pay for the hardships they caused.
She continued: ‘For $10 San Antonio Zoo in Texas will name a cockroach after your ex and feed it to a zoo animal.’
It’s a day typically filled with love, but some singletons are looking for ways to mark the occasion without romance (pictured: Dead ink bookshop in Liverpool sharing anti-Valentine’s Day book suggestions)
‘They will even send your ex a card informing them that you’ve done this… you can also upgrade to a dead rodent for $25’.
Elsewhere, a TikTok user, who goes by @liverpoolbars, has created an anti-Valentine’s pub crawl for people who are ‘lonely, sad, or single’.
The host started the alcohol heavy outing by ordering sambuca shots at a bar called Cheers, before moving on to various other bars around the centre of Liverpool.
‘Valentine’s Day is SO over rated anyway,’ the creator added in the caption.
Elsewhere, venues, including Old Oak pub in Cork, are hosting anti-Valentine’s Day parties, where attendees can delete pictures of their exes in exchange for a free pint.
For those who aren’t alcohol fans, a Manchester bakery is offering non-romantic baked goods, while a different account, @deadinkbookshop, has created a book collection to delve into on 14 February.
Over in Liverpool, TikTok account @liverpoolbars planned a bar crawl for those wanting to forget about romance
Half Dozen Other Bakery in Manchester is offering ‘anti-Valentine’s baked goods’ (pictured) for those not celebrating
‘Books all about love that aren’t romantic for us anti-Valentines types,’ the caption read.
The Liverpool-based book shop recommended novels, including Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova and Summer Fun by Jeanne Thornton.
It comes after a range of ‘work wife’ and ‘work husband’ Valentine’s Day cards at Card Factory sparked outrage on social media.
UK-based Ellie, who goes by @elehunn on TikTok, shared a clip of the range on her profile, writing: ‘Surely not, Card Factory’.
Ellie looked in shock as she read one card that said: ‘For my work wife on Valentine’s Day. I’ve finally found someone just as inappropriate as me!’
The greeting card was also available in a different colour scheme for a ‘work husband’.
The TikTok user concluded the video by giving the controversial Valentine’s Day offering a thumbs down.
Ellie wasn’t the only one upset by the cards, with viewers flocking to the comment section to share similar thoughts.
One furious user commented: ‘I’ve lost two husbands to a ”work wife”; I’m traumatised’.
Another had undergone a similar experience, writing: ‘It’s all fun and games until your husband really leaves you for his work wife like mine did.’
‘Oh, imagine your husband coming home with a card to my work husband. Wow that’s just a big no,’ said another.
A fourth added: ‘They do these every year. I used to work at one years ago and would stare down anyone who bought a work wife/husband card.’
‘HR will be busy this month,’ another user added.
However, others thought differently, with one adding: ‘What if the work wife and work husband both don’t have partners lmao’.
