5 Tips on How to Celebrate a Latin Valentine's

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Chocolates and roses on Valentine's Day is so last year! If you want to put a more interesting or more romantic spin to the highly-commercialized holiday, check out these great ideas that will put a Latin spin to your special day, whether you're single or in a relationship.

1. Serenade your girl (or guy!) Hire a singer to serenade your girl or guy come dusk, it's a tradition that is still alive in Ecuador, as per PopSugar. Make it modern by incorporating your loved one's favorite songs. Some people even do this to propose! If you're single and are in a band of single women, hire a singer to serenade all of you all at once and have a mini concert for entertainment purposes.

2. Hold a singles-only party--you might find your perfect partner there! Speaking of being single, invite all your single friends to celebrate what others may call "Single Awareness Day." Just because you're not in a relationship, it doesn't mean you can't celebrate the holiday. In fact, Tu Decides Media reports that, in Mexico, February 14th is celebrated as "Día de San Valentin," but is more commonly known as "El Día del Amor y la Amistad," or the Day of Love and Friendship. Celebrate love in all forms and get your friends and family together.

3. Have a Galentine's Day. Make Leslie Knope proud and gather all your gals (single or not) to celebrate a day of love and friendship, just like the Mexicans. Valentine's Day isn't just for those who are in a relationship, but those who want to celebrate friendship as well. TIME suggests celebrating over pancakes, playing charades featuring books, movies and other art created only by women, binge watching "Broad City", which Amy Poehler produces or even "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (produced by Tina Fey) or any female-empowering television show ("Ugly Betty," "Jane the Virgin," "Jessica Jones," "Marvel's Agent Carter," the list goes on and on).

4. Prepare something for your secret admirer. Without meaning to be stalkerish, leave a sweet note on your crush's desk, or a dozen homemade cupcakes, or anything that you think will spark their interest (a puzzle that will form your name, perhaps?). Just make sure to keep it wholesome.

5. Give orchids (or other flowers) instead of roses. Teleflora reports that, in Peru, roses are reserved for Mother's Day, and lovers often give orchids instead, as these are the symbol of deep love. If you're looking to further diversify your bouquet, Huffington Post's guide to flowers and the meaning behind their colors is a great read. Yellow roses often symbolize friendship while pink roses symbolizes new love. Lavender roses represent royalty, so that will definitely stand out. Daisies represent innocence while white tulips represent forgiveness. For secret admirers, grab 13 yellow chrysanthemums and, for newly engaged couples or longtime married folks, choose peonies, which represent riches and good luck.