How to Spend the Perfect Valentine’s Day in New York City
Between busy work meetings, taking care of your children, studying for exams, and other daily responsibilities, finding the time to spend with your loved one can be challenging. With Valentine’s Day coming up, this is the perfect holiday to dedicate the day, evening or weekend to your significant other. With Valentine’s Day in less than a month, starting to plan a romantic experience now can ensure you are giving your significant other everything they deserve and more. Likely, you will want to do something together that will be amorous, relaxing, special, and include roses and chocolates. However, planning the day out can be overwhelming, which is why we have already picked out the perfect itinerary for you that includes many different activities and will last you both all day long. Learn about the history of Valentine’s Day, enjoy a full list of activities for the special day, and see why a spa visit is such a great idea to gift to your partner.
The history of Valentine’s Day
What exactly is the story behind February 14th, the most romantic day of the year? There are thoughts that the holiday originates from the Roman festival of Lupercalia which was held in mid-February. The festival had celebrated the return of spring and included fertility rites as well as the matching of women with men by a lottery. However, at the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I prohibited the celebration, which some people speculate has been replaced by St. Valentine’s Day. Yet, technically, the holiday of Valentine’s Day was not actually celebrated as a romantic and loving day until around the 14th century.
Some people may know about the Christian martyr called Valentine, but there were actually several people with this name, so the real origin of the holiday or the exact person to start it is not truly known. One priest who was martyred in about 270 CE had signed a letter stating “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter whom he had befriended. Another story discusses St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop, but some people think that this is the same person as the former. Other people speculate that St. Valentine went against the emperor’s wishes and married couples in secret so that the husbands would not have to go to war and be away from their partner.
Eventually, in the 1500s, people began sending love letters to one another, and by the late 1700s, commercially printed cards came about and were widely used as the means to express their love. Valentine’s Day became a very emotional and loving holiday as Cupid, the Roman god of love, became the mascot for the special day, along with hearts and birds. Today, traditional gifts include candy, red roses, chocolates, poems, cards, and giving your partner a memorable day with a romantic date, such as with a beautiful and intimate dinner, a picnic, a shopping spree, or a spa day.
The perfect Valentine’s Day itinerary
If you are not sure how to spend your Valentine’s Day but want to do something really special for your loved one, then read on to discover unique activities that will make your bond with your partner stronger.
Early morning: breakfast in bed
Time to start off the day just right by preparing a romantic bed and breakfast for your significant other. Grab a sturdy tray and be ready to stack on scrambled eggs, waffles or pancakes with syrup, a bowl of fresh fruit, a tasty pastry like a croissant (bonus points if it is chocolate-filled) or chocolate chip muffin, and a tall glass of orange juice or apple juice. This will immediately show your loved one how much you mean to them and are willing to go above and beyond just to see them smile as soon as the sun comes out.
Later morning: go for a hike or stroll
After you have both had time to lay in bed, chat, watch a show, and eat your five-star breakfast, you may feel a bit lethargic, but now is a good time to get your energy back by going for a hike or a serene stroll. This will allow you both to enjoy nature, get in a workout, and do something relaxing and calming together. If it is extra chilly outside, bundle up and bring some hot chocolate in a thermos to sip as you walk along.
Early Afternoon: make your own sushi
You are both likely a bit drained from the walk in the cold, and quite hungry too. Instead of going out for lunch or heating up leftovers from last night’s dinner, consider making your own sushi together. You can either purchase a kit or shop for ingredients at your local grocery store, and let the fun begin. This is a very fun activity to do together, and the best part is that you get to eat your delicious creations afterwards! Trying something new is a great way to grow your bond with your partner.
Mid-Afternoon - brainstorm bucket list ideas
The day is still early and there is still so much left that you can do. The next idea is to plan a couple’s bucket list for activities you would like to do together on a future date. Whether you’d like to go on a cruise to the Caribbean, learn a new skill like making pasta, do something thrill-seeking like go cliff jumping, or do something at home like watch a marathon of your favorite movie series, you can jot down as many activities as you would like. Grab some more hot chocolate, pop some popcorn, and let the list planning begin.
Late Afternoon - visit the spa
This next activity is surely going to make you and your partner feel refreshed and relaxed, which is a day at the spa. Not only is it a unique idea, but there are many mental and physical benefits as well that both you and your significant other will feel. Specifically, a couple’s massage provides an intimate experience of gentle, physical touch, soothing ocean or raindrop sounds, aromatic scents, and the delicious taste of chocolates and sparkling champagne. By taking part in this luxury with your partner, you will be able to release oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin in the brain. This will lead you both to complete relaxation, tranquility, and happiness. You and your special someone can enjoy several different massage experiences to rekindle your love and make you both fall in love all over again. These include hot stone, Swedish, aromatherapy, and deep tissue, to name a few. Plus, consider ending the treatment with a romantic hot tub activity–this will surely make you and your partner feel closer and more connected than ever before.
There are many therapeutic benefits of receiving a massage treatment. According to Better Health, they can reduce muscle tension, improve blood flow and circulation, reduce stress, relax and calm you, improve joint mobility and flexibility, give your skin a nice glow, recover soft tissue injuries, improve sleep, and improve your overall well-being and mental state. Moreover, this will improve your relationship with your partner because before you can feel happy from being around others, you first need to feel happy from within. A massage is a great overall investment for your relationship and will certainly keep you both happy for a long time as you feel the lasting effects from the spa enter into your relationship. As a result of these beneficial improvements, you will also feel closer with your partner through increased emotional connection, understanding and intimacy.
A romantic spa getaway will also create lasting memories. After entering the scenic location together, the tranquil, relaxing and secluded atmosphere will encourage you and your partner to connect spiritually and emotionally. This will thus enhance your intimacy and connection with one another. Couples' romance experiences such as hot tubs, a couple’s massage, sauna, jacuzzi, or dining with champagne and chocolates will make you both fall in love all over again.
ZZ Day Spa offers many wonderful couple’s packages for those who want to get away (but not too far) together. Packages vary by price and services, but each offer something special. Each one comes with chocolates, champagne, a rose, and a secret spa gift. Pricing starts at $319 and goes up to $1,299. If you are looking to propose to your partner, we have just the thing for this as well. If you wish to propose this Valentine’s Day, ZZ Day Spa offers proposal packages. We believe that choosing a spa for a proposal is a very smart choice as you can personalize it to your taste (such as if you want it public or private, or if you want decorations for example) and it will be a surprise that your partner will never suspect. If you would like to reserve one of these packages, we have eight different options to offer, with pricing starting at $1,495. Here are some ideas below for how to make the moment even more romantic, thoughtful and special:
Decorate your spa room: if you decide to keep the proposal private, we will decorate the room with rose petals, candles, and framed photos.
Fill your spa room with balloons: if your partner loves balloons, then this is a perfect option. Plus, if you want to feel that you are both going higher up in your relationship, then this will be the perfect symbol of your love. We can even attach photos to the bottom of the balloons to make the moment even more sentimental and thoughtful.
Incorporate a “Marry Me” display: adding this display will surely catch your partner’s attention. Not only will it make for a great backdrop for photos after you pop the question, but it will also be up to you on how you want the words to appear. Do you want large, sparkly letters? Or a handwritten note? Whatever you choose, we are confident that the display will be a winner.
What’s a spa proposal without a spa treat? After they say “yes” and you both enjoy the moment with kisses, photos and smiles, enjoy an 80-minute decadent couples massage, hot tub, champagne, chocolates, a spa gift, and 60 long stem roses. This experience will be sure to allow you and your significant other to start off your engagement strong and happy.
Overall, a spa day will truly rekindle and revitalize your romance with your partner and remind them just how much you care about them. You will improve communication with one another, become more intimate, find peace within yourselves both together and individually, and reduce stress. For this upcoming Valentine’s Day, take the time now to plan an experience they will never forget. ZZ Day Spa wants to provide you with the most romantic day together and have you both leave the spa feeling happier and healthier.
Mid-Evening: have a private candlelit dinner at home
After a relaxing and intimate spa day together, you may either want to continue the fun by going for a dinner out in the town, but we think the most romantic way to continue the evening is by ordering food in (or cooking, depending on your preference) and having a romantic candlelit dinner. This will allow you both to have complete privacy and reflect on the day together with minimal distractions.
Late Evening: bake and have a movie night
The night is almost over, but that does not mean you have to sleep just yet. Bake something easy together such as cookies, brownies, or smores, and choose a movie to watch together. This is a relaxing and low-stress way to end a perfect day.
Conclusion
We believe this Valentine’s Day itinerary is the perfect balance of active, relaxing, creative and romantic. Throughout the day, and especially after visiting the spa, we believe you and your partner will feel a strengthened bond, reduced anxiety and stress from daily life, improved connection and understanding, a feeling of rejuvenation, more love and intimacy, and like you have fallen in love all over again.
