If you are in a loving relationship and can’t wait to illustrate your feelings for your partner on Valentine’s Day, then this article may not appeal to you. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t learn about how single people have spent their time on the day dedicated <to> couples.

Whilst all the couples are getting ready for Valentine’s Day by preparing gifts and planning for the special day, people without a significant other are painfully reminded of their singleness. Therefore, we should look towards customs of other countries which emphasize individuality. For instance, China celebrates a holiday which is the anti-Valentine’s Day, appropriately titled “Single’s Day,” in which people spend lavishly and pamper themselves. Fun fact: Single’s Day is celebrated on Nov. 11 because all of the digits are one. The holiday originated from an online shopping website, Alibaba, which is the equivalent of Amazon in China. They decided to initiate this event in hopes of accumulating money by appealing to the singles. Another name for the holiday is also “Bachelor’s Day” because of the imbalance in genders in China due to the one-child policy<,> which caused families to desire to have boys over girls.

Although Black Friday is infamous for the considerable amount of sales made in that one day, Single’s Day has amassed even more than that. In total, Single’s Day amassed a total of $17.8 billion worth of purchases. The holiday has become more popular recently and the profits have soared just under $2 billion. To put it into perspective, in terms of online sales, Single’s Day had made more in one day than the entire 2016 Brazilian e-commerce sales. If the amount of sales were to be compared to the sales made annually by countries, it would be ranked 11th, just behind South Korea. However, most people buy themselves presents online rather than in store; 87 percent of sales made are through the internet. This further illustrates how people are experiencing even less human contact and connection on Single’s Day. Since the internet offers more options than shopping at a local store or shopping center, it has allowed young people to buy even more and broaden their range of products.

This event is typically practiced mainly by young adults and is more popular in the Eastern hemisphere, specifically in Asia. However, it is not limited to those countries. Therefore, although it is only February, singles can look forward to Single’s Day rather than sulk over their lack of a significant other. Anyone can reserve any particular day of the year to pamper themselves and appreciate themselves.