5 ways to host an alternative Valentine’s Day
The way consumers celebrate Valentine’s Day is changing. The days of cliched cards, cheap chocolates and over the top shows of affection are dwindling. In fact, there’s a growing number of people planning not to celebrate it in the traditional way this year, if at all! There could be many reasons for this, from the pressure and expectations of the day to falling levels of disposable income.
However, even though Valentine’s Day may not be celebrated in the traditional sense as often, there’s never been a time when spreading the message of care and love has been more important. Due to certain political events (we won’t mention the ‘B’ word) our society has become fractured, even to the point where families have drifted apart! So without sounding too melodramatic, bringing people together is one of the most powerful things we can do in the foodservice industry.
If doing things a bit differently this Valentine’s Day sounds good to you, then consider getting on board with one or more of the ideas below….
1. Promote Galentine’s or Palentine’s Day
Over the past few years, you may have seen venues advertising Galentine’s or Palentine’s Day. The idea here is that groups of friends use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to go out, have some fun and celebrate their friendships. Beer, burger and bingo nights are a great way to get groups of people involved. The aim is to create a party atmosphere that encourages friends to share food and drinks.
2. Put on afternoon tea for parents or grandparents
There’s a growing trend of people treating their parents or grandparents to afternoon tea. This may be down to the person simply wanting to show their gratitude to those that helped raise them, or it might be because they have a parent or grandparent who is feeling lonely. Whatever the reason, hosting afternoon tea is a sure-fire way to help spread the love this Valentine’s Day. You could even serve heart shaped sandwiches or cakes to reinforce the message?
3. Host a bake sale or coffee morning with heart themed snacks
This is a great idea for schools and cafes and has the added benefit of raising funds for charity. The money raised can go to a charity of your choice and the event itself provides a great platform to bring people together.
4. Put on a romantic movie themed quiz
Everybody loves a quiz and a romantic movie themed one is a great idea for care homes. The questions could be from a range of decades and you could even incorporate some movie soundtracks into the quiz too. It’s a really good way to bring residents together and is sure to evoke a bit of nostalgia as well.
5. Get the kids involved
Getting the message of sharing, caring and being kind to other people is an incredibly important message to get across to children. If you work in education, perhaps consider putting on a special ‘family lunch’ where students can invite their parents or grandparents to join them. Another positive approach might be for the students to organise a community lunch in their canteen for lonely or vulnerable people. The students could serve and even cook the lunch for the guests.