Over the onion dip, sick of the roses: What do do for Superbowl weekend & Valentine's Day

January 24, 2007 7:41 AM

Anti-holiday ideas for Superbowl weekend and Valentine's Day? The V-day ideas can be for just-broken-up individuals, best friends, anything non-loverish or for people who simply want to forgo the dozen reds and box of chocolates (unless they're very, very different chocolates) for something less tradish.

The closest thing I can come up with for Superbowl weekend for those who want to go as far away as possible is something like a tea party, but I'm open to just about anything -- including ways to get through it with a minimum of fuss if you have been somehow shanghaied into the celebration. If I need to ratchet this down a step, it could be a guide to how to throw a superbowl party when you hate football.

posted by mdiskin to sports, hobbies, & recreation (22 comments total)

I don't care for football at all. However, it has become a bit of a tradition to make a big pot of chili and invite friends over. They can choose to have the game on in the background if they want it. Most of the time, the kids play and the adults converse and/or play board games. We all eat way too much chili. Honestly, it is just another excuse for a gathering.

As for Valentines Day, we might get each other a card and flowers may appear in the dining room. Otherwise, it is just another day for us.

Looking a little further out, I hope this year's Mother's day is as enjoyable as last year's. I refuse to go out to eat because the restaurants are crazy. Last year, our group of friends drove to some local caverns and took the kids on an underground tour. It was low-key, different and lots of fun.
posted by onhazier at 8:07 AM on January 24, 2007

Clearly you should just watch the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet! Adorable puppies (with a kitten halftime show) trump football every time.
posted by leesh at 8:13 AM on January 24, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I should probably mention that I'm writing up a guide to these holidays, so the more specific the better....

Puppy Bowl: sweet.
posted by mdiskin at 8:26 AM on January 24, 2007

I second the puppy bowl. Add some booze, make it an adventure.

I live on a college campus, so last year I volunteered to work during the super bowl, because everyone else wanted to take off, and then I had the added bonus of having a quiet place to be where I didn't have to listen to people talk about football.


As for Valentine's Day, I reccomend checking out a V-Day performance of The Vagina Monologues. You can use the website to help you find one in your area. They are organized all over the country around valentine's day, and all proceeds go to organizations that help fight violence against women and girls.
posted by nuclear_soup at 8:49 AM on January 24, 2007

Check the TV listings during the Super Bowl. A lot of networks will attempt some type of counter-programming, showing the sorts of things they believe will appeal to the sort of person who doesn't like football.

Also, previously.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:50 AM on January 24, 2007

I've had a SuperBowl advertising party. All the traditional snacks and booze and gathering and video gaming (that's traditional, right?). And we use the TiVo to skip to just the commercials -- the pre-game as well and the in-game and post-game. Oh, we also watched the half-time show to snark about it.

But if you didn't hang with ad people and ad students all the time like I did, it might not be as fun.
posted by Gucky at 9:00 AM on January 24, 2007

Superbowl Sunday is a great time to catch a matinee movie without having to deal with weeknight or Sunday morning "family" crowds (since all the families are home watching on the Big Screen TV). Some moms I know use it as an excuse to leave the kids with dad and take a day out.
posted by muddgirl at 9:16 AM on January 24, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I've done a Lord of the Rings (extended edition) marathon on Super Bowl Sunday, though any sort of serial TV/movie watching does the trick. Add whatever state-enhancing substances suit your fancy and you've got yourself a day to remember. Or a day you'll have a hard time remembering. I forget which.
posted by wemayfreeze at 9:43 AM on January 24, 2007

It's about a week too early for Fat Tuesday itself, but it is Mardi Gras season.
posted by gordie at 9:51 AM on January 24, 2007

I should preface this by saying that I am a huge nerd.

Valentine's Day is the feast day of St. Valentine, but it is also the feast day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, apostles to the Slavs. Cyril is the guy for whom the Cyrillic alphabet was named. I've often thought that poor Sts. Cyril and Methodius get slighted, since their feast day has been cooped by Hallmark and the chocolate industry. I think you should have a Cyril and Methodius Day party, dedicated to all things Slavic. Eat Slavic food. Listen to Slavic music. Bulgarian folk-dancing might be fun.
posted by craichead at 10:09 AM on January 24, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Bulgarian folk-dancing might be fun.

A ringing endorsement if I've ever heard one.
posted by wemayfreeze at 10:23 AM on January 24, 2007

Apparently Super Bowl Sunday is an excellent day for the cost conscious to get married. You can get the great locations and event halls for a song.

Nothing says anti-Valentine's Day like going in for a mammogram.
posted by Sara Anne at 11:10 AM on January 24, 2007

Check out local live theater. At one point my theater group found itself doing a show on SuperBowl Sunday. We advertised it as a two for one date special. Check around. You could get some super cheap seats.
posted by Gungho at 11:43 AM on January 24, 2007

My friend and I were planning on trainhopping to the horseraces for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, there were no races in our vicinity on that day.

Back-up idea: Skeet shooting.
posted by redsparkler at 12:09 PM on January 24, 2007

i also hate football and valentines day.

as for football, last year i ended up throwing a party on superbowl sunday - but i called it an 'end of the football season party'. the excitement for me was that i didnt have to hear about football at work and whatnot anymore. plus its always fun to throw a party.

and valentines day - i have a great suggestion if you live in/near dc... last year my gf at the time and i broke up on the day before valentines day. i was off the hook for valentines day and ended up going to a bar in dc called asylum for 'anti-valentines-day-pink-vegan jello-wrestling'. best valentines day i ever had. i didnt even get to see the wrestling (bar was too crowded), but the general air of debauchery was pretty awesome.
posted by kneelconqueso at 12:38 PM on January 24, 2007

These ideas are really good, and the nerd in me applauds them all.

...But they aren't just for me, they're for a cool-cats guide to Day X that I'm writing (both of them). Are there any products to be found on the web that could symbolize the love-hate relationship? (rings with poison cavities -- or for that Tic-tac moment!)

I may also glom onto pre-Mardi-Gras festivities. But I'd like to hew close to the actual holidays.

Keep them coming.
posted by mdiskin at 12:53 PM on January 24, 2007

I'm so glad you asked this. I found Bittersweets too late last year but I am ordering them right now for this year.
posted by BoscosMom at 1:42 PM on January 24, 2007

We're having a party for single and/or non-hallmark-influenced friends on Valentine's day. We're making everyone wear a little bit of pink, and having a pink drink requirement (hey, it's a good excuse to break out the white zinfandel that has been sitting at the bottom of your wine rack for the past year). Oh, and everyone is invited to bring along their single friends, so who knows, maybe we'll spawn a couple or two.

It's worth noting that my wardrobe consists solely of jeans and black/gray tops and I hate cosmos. Feel free to email me suggestions for non-sickeningly sweet pink drinks if you know of any.
/Hijack over, sorry!
posted by echo0720 at 1:52 PM on January 24, 2007

I love football and this thread is making me sad. But I understand.

Instead of watching the game, should it be on, why not turn it into a drinking game? Assign drinks or hot sauce shots whenever a point goes on the board, whenever the commentator says "Watch this right here...," whenever players engage in possible homo-erotic activity, etc. Or play bingo. Have cards that have different penalties, plays, etc. on them.

I've been in a relationship for years, but we both think V-Day is pretty horrendous. Why not have an anti-romance-ugly-reality party along these lines: No one's allowed to comb/brush their hair that morning or put on make-up, and they need to show up in their most unattractive, beat-up house-painting clothes. Then enjoy a menu of ribs and beer. Refreshing, honest slobbery! But tooth-brushing should still apply.
posted by krippledkonscious at 2:03 PM on January 24, 2007

Valentine stuff at Baron Bob
Personalized Boyfriend Punching Bag at Perpetual Kid
Is that the kind of stuff you mean?
posted by BoscosMom at 4:59 PM on January 24, 2007

I actually just wrote about something else at Perpetual Kid but it hasn't gone to press yet, so I'm going to put the punching bag in my list. And yes -- I'm more product oriented.

This is more about stuff you can buy (although some events in my city will also be on the list).
posted by mdiskin at 6:09 AM on January 25, 2007

For the record, and to clarify, while it isn't Mardi Gras (which is one week later, on the 20th), this year Valentine's happens to be right smack in the middle of Carnival. A great time to not so much lament singlehood, but thank god for it.

And if you want to take it a step further and come down to NOLA and spend all your money...well...we appreciate it.
posted by gordie at 12:36 PM on January 25, 2007