February 13, 2019
This Thursday marks the celebration of Valentine’s Day and, like every year, opinions are conflicting. Some condemn the commercialism that underpins the holiday, while others dislike the sudden increase of happy couples taking the day off to stroll alongside Amsterdam’s lovely canals. Luckily, the city offers a lot more than overpriced three-course menus and themed boat tours. The following are five less conventional ideas on how to spend Valentine’s Day, enjoyable for singles and couples alike.
You love books, need a new read and wouldn’t mind running into someone who likes reading just as much as you do? The American Book Center has you covered. Between 17:30 to 20:00 the bookstore hosts the opportunity to, in its words, “share your favorite book title with other customers, dare a blind date with a book or hang out in the White Room of our Amsterdam store for a ‘Single Book Mingle’.”
The Street Art Museum Amsterdam specifically invites singles to watch the French romance Love me if you dare, starring Marion Cotillard, between 8pm and 10pm. Granted, there are many opportunities to watch this type of movie on Valentine’s Day. However, not many of them offer free entrance, popcorn, and chocolate – all of this being especially great for a strained student budget!
Every Thursday the Dutch Students for Climate initiative organizes a “strike against the failing climate policies and the downfall of our planet.” Starting at 12pm, students from and around Amsterdam will protest for their right to have a future, which can only be realized when “people and the environment are prioritized over profit”. Perhaps you feel, like these protesters, that this might just be the way to celebrate the love and compassion of Valentine’s Day.
There are a vast number of themed dinners offered on Thursday all over the city. The Ethiopian Dinner, hosted by SkateCafe from 6:30pm to 1am, offers a three-course meal which is, according to Ethiopian tradition, shared on one plate. While 22 euros might sound a little pricey, the venue is surely worth a visit and it has the benefit of being a less-conventional idea for a Valentine’s date.
The UvA’s study association for Economics and Business, SEFA, has organized a Single’s Night. In order to promote their newly founded International Development Program, SEFA invites everyone to come who would like to get to know more about the project or grab one of the first 100 beers, which will only be €1. The event will take place from 9pm to 3am at the bar De Ebelingen.
