Wholesome ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the comfort of your own home

Now the turkeys, tinsel and mistletoe are packed away for another year, stores took no time flooding shelves with hearts, sentimental poems and red roses.

That's right, it's officially the month of love.

Now, not to be a buzzkill but most people celebrate the occasion without knowing the many theories behind it. One of the most popular ones is actually quite unromantic.

The first Valentine's Day was declared by Pope Gelasius on 14 February, 496 AD – though we don’t know which St. Valentine he was referring to. It could have been St. Valentine the former Bishop of Interamna, or a more mysterious St. Valentine martyred in North Africa years before.

People often lean towards it being St. Valentine the Roman priest, who continued wedding ceremonies despite a ban from Emperor Claudius. He was said to have fallen in love with the jailer's daughter, slipping her a note reading "From Your Valentine." He was sentenced to death on 14 February.

The UK didn’t start celebrating until the 1500s with the first Valentine's Day card written in 1477.

Valentine's Day has since evolved into a capitalist phenomenon, with reservations for 14 February booked up months in advance.

To avoid the hustle and bustle, many people have opted for a more peaceful evening at home – and we have some ideas to recreate a date night in the comfort of your own home:

Côte at Home

Côte restaurants have created the ultimate night-in for two.

Launched in 2020, the prestigious brand delivers all the ingredients needed for a fine dining experience at home. From premium steaks, pork, lamb and chicken, to an expansive selection of artisan French cheeses and fine wines, the attention to detail is unmatched.

Côte's limited Valentine's Day menu boasts a starter of either cheese souffle or French onion soup. The main is made up of two fillet steaks prepared by their in-house butchery, complete with garlic butter golden fries and peas à la Française.

For dessert, Côte offers a choice between tarte au citron served with raspberry compote or almond financier with cherry compote.

What's better, couples can add a bottle of Laurent Perrier to make the occasion extra special.

The limited menu is available for delivery from 7th February 2024 until 17th February 2024.

Côte

Grubby X Redefine Meat plant-based Valentine's box

Redefine Meat has partnered up with Grubby for a limited Valentine's recipe kit.

Redefine Meat’s premium whole-cut 'beef flank' has only ever been available in top UK restaurants. But now, couples can recreate the delicious meal at home.

"We only work with the best when it comes to our collaboration partners and Redefine Meat is top of its game when it comes to replicating the taste, texture and flavour of meat – we are thrilled to be showcasing their plant-based Beef Flank exclusively with our customers," Martin Holden-White, Grubby Founder, said.

The recipe will be a premium Valentine’s option on the Grubby menu from 9th February until 22nd March.

Grubby X Redefine Meat

Recreate your first date

Valentine's Day is one of the most divisive days of the year. Some love it, others hate it.

For those feeling the love this year, recreating your first date is the perfect sentimental gesture – and all it requires is a bit of planning and a trip down memory lane.

People online have been sharing their own recreations of first dates and racking up thousands of views in the process. Of course, you don't have to go as far as recording the set-up though.

Paint and sip

Amp up your average movie night by hosting a paint-and-sip at home.

The wholesome activity has been sweeping social media, with pop-up events taking place across the UK and US. That said, they're ever so simple to recreate at home with a handful of crafts and your favourite beverages.

Cocktail making

Why not spend the evening creating your very own at-home cocktail-making masterclass?

"You can make your own cocktails at home, even if you don’t have the specific tools to hand. For instance, if you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a mason jar or even an empty water bottle to mix your ingredients in will work. Then, to strain your cocktail, you can use the lid from your mason jar or a tea strainer to ensure your cocktail is still as smooth as it would be when using a cocktail strainer," Patrick Pistolesi, Master Mixologist at NIO Cocktails told Indy100.

You can add a professional touch by simply adding sugar to the rim of the glass.

"Simply pour the sugar onto a small plate, mix in some fresh-cut citrus juice and place your glass upside down onto the plate, twisting it until the rim is covered," he explained.

"You can also use at-home ingredients for garnishing your cocktail, too, including maraschino cherries, olives, citrus peel or fresh herbs. It’s just about finding the right garnish for the cocktail you’re making!"

Breakfast in bed

Cliché, but classic and always a winner.

If you're not fully sold on the idea of Valentine's Day but want to at least acknowledge it, whip up your favourite breakfast – or try something new and be a little creative, like these Good Mood Food:

Baked by Steph DIY cookie kit

Valentine's Day falls on a Wednesday this year, meaning some may want to relax or wait until the weekend to celebrate.

Baked by Steph's cookie kit makes the perfect mid-week activity for a wholesome night in.

The kit includes everything you need to make your very own heart designs.

Baked by Steph

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.