What to know
- Singles Awareness Day hits on Feb. 15, right after all the Valentine’s Day hype, and it’s basically a reminder that being single isn’t something to feel weird about, especially in a city like Toronto.
- Laura Bilotta, founder of Single in the City, says the day came about when people online decided they didn’t want to feel left out. Instead of sulking, singles started making it their own moment.
- The takeaway? Don’t settle just because you feel pressure. Whether you’re out with friends or having a solo reset night, your life isn’t on pause just because you’re not coupled up.
Are you sad – or are you just single on Singles Awareness Day (SAD)?
This ironically-named holiday provides single people a healthy way to address the pressure that emerges around dating. It falls on the day after Valentine’s Day, a holiday mainly focused on romantic love, and offers an alternative perspective.
And while Torontonians can still use Feb. 14 as a day for themselves or with friends, Feb. 15 is specifically dedicated to singles — a reminder that they aren’t alone.
Founder of matchmaking company Single in the City, Laura Bilotta, shared that the day originated in online culture and pop culture.
“People who were single around Valentine’s Day started reframing the day as something lighter and more self-focused,” Bilotta explained to Now Toronto. “It wasn’t a formal movement as much as a cultural shift—people deciding they didn’t want to feel left out and creating their own way to celebrate.”
She explains that expectations around Valentine’s Day, all the way from romance, gifts or grand gestures, can make anyone who’s not in a relationship feel like they’re missing out. So she compares SAD to a release valve, reminding people that a relationship status isn’t the sole measure of a fulfilling life.
“You can be single and still be happy,” Bilotta assured.
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According to Bilotta, today, more people are actually embracing singlehood.
“There’s less stigma now, and people don’t feel the same pressure to rush into relationships,” she said.
Bilotta admits that while being single can be empowering, it can also be lonely at times. She notes that one shouldn’t use ‘high standards’ as an excuse to avoid being vulnerable. If you have your own life, your own routines, and you’re secure in who you are, but you’re still open to connection, that’s healthy. But when someone keeps people at a distance or avoids vulnerability, that can be seen as emotional unavailability, she said.
Nevertheless, no matter how lonely it feels, it’s better to be single on Singles Awareness Day than to settle. As for Bilotta, she advises Torontonians to do things that genuinely make them feel good, which can look like:
- Dinner with friends
- Trying a new class
- Going to an event
- Taking the night to recharge
“Focus on the parts of your life that already feel full: your friendships, your interests, the things you’re working towards,” she emphasized. “Being single doesn’t mean your life is on pause.”
She also cautions Torontonians to beware of the facade social media can sometimes portray through glimpses of a “happy relationship.”
“We see the highlights, but not what’s happening behind the scenes. There are a lot of people in relationships that aren’t happy or fulfilled, and some of them would actually trade places with someone who has their independence and peace of mind,” Bilotta said.
Some people will be sad this Singles Awareness Day, but she leaves Torontonians with one important reminder:
“Being single isn’t a failure or a waiting room. It’s a chapter of life, and sometimes a really important one… Relationships don’t fix loneliness or unhappiness; those things have to be worked on from the inside,” Bilotta stressed.
