Have you ever heard of "Singles Day"? Back in 1993, a group of university students in China decided to celebrate their singleness on November 11th, suited for those that were unpartnered and alone because of the 11/11 notation of the date. It's likely gone under the radar because of the importance of Remembrance Day in the UK, which is a less-celebrated commemoration, and one for reflection.
But acknowledging that Singles Day exists, embracing what it means to be single and celebrating single life around that allows us to share, as a collective of single women, all the reasons that it's okay to be single, and offers us a point in the year to come together and say "There's nothing wrong with being single!"
Being single isn't a defining feature of you who are, and nowadays, the limitations on your life because of it are fewer than ever before (yes, logistically there are some limitations - housing being one, finances in general then have an effect on things… there will always be some!) but the single life no longer holds you back in ways that it used to, and as a relationship status, it's as valid and worthy a choice as being in a relationship.
And in this blog post, I've put together five ways you can celebrate on Singles Day, to step into your single status with confidence and pride:
1. Embrace your single life
Being single isn't a circumstance we can easily change. It relies on another person, and no matter how many dates we go on, we can't ever guarantee that we'll find someone that we click with in quite that particular way. So instead of wishing your life away on a relationship status that's different to the one you have now, it's worth accepting your single status and leaning into it in a healthy way.
That doesn't mean you have to be brash and post all over social media about how happy being single you are, but it does mean that you can share the things you're doing on your own with others, in whatever way you feel comfortable doing so, and you're entitled to share your adventures as much as the next person.
It isn't all about sharing your pride in being single - though it seems the more you share, the more community sense is built between us single women - but it's about being unapologetic about being single and enjoying it.
You aren't selfish for being single and wishing to remain single. You aren't wrong to choose to focus on your career instead of a family. And you don't have to be dating if you don't want to be! Embracing your single status means getting on with your life despite your single status, or any comments or judgements that come from others.
For more on embracing your single status, check out the following podcast episodes that go into this in even more detail:
2. Treat Yourself on Singles Day
Being single on Singles Day is an opportunity to spoil yourself! Today is an excuse to treat yourself to a special dinner, a new outfit, or a day at the spa. Spend the day doing something you love, whether that's hiking, biking, swimming, or just relaxing at home with a good book. Make today all about you! Do something that you enjoy,
Just like "Mothers Day" or any other celebrated day of that kind, cards and gifts are exchanged to treat the people that have been there for you and supported you, and on Singles Day, the person to show gratitude towards is yourself - and who doesn't love a little treat from time to time.
3. Say Thank You to Your Friends
Singles Day might be all about the individual and being alone, but it's a challenge to get through life without any outside support from others. The equivalent of a romantic partner for a single is their network of friends who make it possible to get through the hard days, offer help when you need someone to move house with, or lend a listening ear when you've had a bad day at work.
They might not be as prominent as a significant other, but they're the ones that are there for you no matter what your relationship status. Reaching out to them on a day like this to express gratitude towards them for all that they do, for not ditching you as the single friend and remembering to check in with you regularly is an easy way to show your appreciation towards their friendliness and support.
Use Singles Day as an opportunity to do something new!
Use single day as an opportunity to reflect on your single life. reflect on all the wonderful things about being single, and make a list of all the things you're looking forward* Embrace your single life
4. Try Something New
Single life provides the opportunity for adventure and self-development. Without the distraction of a partner and family life building, it's about finding your own projects to create in your life. From solo trips, DIY or working on yourself, you have the spectrum of adventures to try out and Singles Day is the ideal day to take one step towards pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and finding a new hobby or skill to develop, or to finally start planning that solo adventure you've always wanted to do.
Check your area for local events going on over the week to see if you can join an event or club to develop a new skill. And you might also find that it's a great way to socialise and meet new people too - something that is as vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a single.
5. Reflect On Your Single Life
Last but not least, taking stock of your single life can be crucial to appreciating all that it offers you. The grass can look greener on the other side of the fence, but there will also be times when you're partnered up pals look back over the fence and consider your relationship status to be much greener. You have more time, you have less interpersonal relationship stress and there's no one to answer to or have to think of when deciding what to do with your day, week or month. Take stock on Singles Day of what you're able to do that you otherwise wouldn't be able to do and keep this list of advantages to single life at hand for when you have a challenging day with your relationship status.
It's already been said that we have less control of the status of our relationship status so when something is out of our control, we have to learn to accept it and be grateful for what the situation brings us as a way to keep living our lives, even if we thought it might be different right now.
How will you celebrate Singles Day? Join in on, or around, the 11th November to show your celebration of single life with a post on your IG stories or feed and tag me in it! I'll be sharing the single life love so that we can all embrace the power of single life together and make sure that no single girl feels lonely!
Listen to the full episode of The Single Girl's Guide to Life Podcast below: