upworthy

Erik Barnes

Joy

Couples share why Valentine's Day for them is February 15th

These couples might be onto something.

Photo credit: Canva

Many couples are celebrating Valentine's Day the day after or later.

Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate your love with a special dining night out, lavish gifts, chocolate, and all-out memorable experiences. That is, if you live in the movies. For many people, February 14th is a special day with your special someone, but for a growing number of couples it’s just another day in the week. Don’t get it twisted, it’s not that they don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. It’s just that they celebrate it on February 15th or later.

Folks on Reddit are praising this method. “Got into the packed steakhouse last night where there was practically nobody there,” said one poster. “Flowers and candy were more than half off. Get your partner to accept celebrating Valentine’s on the 15th.”

Other posters have co-signed this philosophy, with one stating the obvious:

“We stopped celebrating on the 14th years ago. Things always cost more. Restaurants are packed. Service and food quality are mediocre, since they're packed. Ubers are surge priced. There's just no good reason—other than the symbolism—to force a celebration the day of. We typically go out the weekend before or after.”

Valentine’s Day is big business in the United States. In spite of Americans scaling back on spending on the holiday last year, the National Retail Federation is projecting $27.5 billion in spending on Valentine’s Day in 2025. That’s a lot of overpriced stuffed bears with hearts and marked up chocolate! It’s gotten to the point that according to the New York Times, marketers and businesses are creating anti-Valentine’s Day products, sales, and movements to ensure they aren’t missing potential customers that revolt against the holiday.

As pointed out by those couples, celebrating the day after or even the weekend after the official Valentine’s Day date can offer deep discounts on chocolate, wine, stuffed animals, and many other products for you and your partner to indulge in. There might even be restaurants in your area that would still serve the Valentine’s Day specials at a lower price in order to sell off the extra lobster, beef, shrimp, etc. that they bulked up on for the busier holiday.

But the discounts and frugality of celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 15th or any other date isn’t the only reason to consider it. Some couples love doing it because they feel like they’re being “discount bandits” like a Bonny and Clyde for deals, loving the fact they’re enjoying each other and their “haul” feeling like they’ve gotten away with something. Or they feel like making Valentine’s Day even more exclusive and special by making it on March 1st or September 8th or whenever they feel like it. Or they just would rather do small loving things each day and have “little” Valentine’s Day every day.

Man kissing woman on the beachFor some couples, Valentine's Day could be a random beach day in the summer.Photo credit: Canva

No matter how or when you spend Valentine’s Day, everyone seems to agree that it’s best when you and your partner make it your own way that works for you both. After all, when you come down to it, it’s all supposed to be about you as a couple. Now pass the discount Reese’s peanut butter cup hearts!

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Culture

Filipino man sounds exactly like Creed singer in astounding cover

"If the Olympics had karaoke as an event, Philippines would take gold easily."

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Vocally, these two men are identical!

Folks on the internet are remarking on this Filipino man that’s singing just like Creed lead singer Scott Stapp in a karaoke video making the rounds online. Looking at his phone for the lyrics and sitting on a lawn chair outside, the man belts out the song “My Sacrifice” with conviction and passion. He sings it so well in the same vocal cadence as Stapp that folks had to double-check to make sure he wasn’t lip syncing.

The audience around the singer were just casually chatting between stanzas, as if it was just a regular karaoke session in the middle of the day. Commenters online, however, were impressed at his performance. They were astounded at how well he sang.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

“From joking around with his buddy in his normal voice, to suddenly becoming Scott Stapp was a crazy transformation. If Creed ever needs a replacement singer, this guy just has that voice on tap.”

“Lol, I was going to joke around, but this guy is legit talented.”

“Amazing. This man needs a band.”

“For every aspiring rock star in a garage in America...there is a drunk Filipino who does it for fun in the local watering hole.”

“If the Olympics had karaoke as an event… Philippines would take gold easily.”

There may be something to that last comment. Karaoke is a popular national pastime in the Philippines. It’s not just limited to bars and coffee shops, as several families perform karaoke to entertain themselves at home or outdoors. It’s not uncommon to walk by a farm and randomly hear somebody singing “All the Single Ladies” or other Beyoncé tunes among others.

According to the BBC, karaoke is everywhere in the Philippines. A karaoke machine or a Magic Sing microphone (a device that turns your television into a karaoke machine) is usually present at birthdays and holiday parties, along with videoke (a video-based karaoke that records and rates the singers) challenges and contests being offered in nearly every bar and restaurant. There are special KTV (Karaoke Television) locations for family-friendly fun and there are karaoke options at adult-only establishments, too.

While karaoke is widely considered as a Japanese creation, it has Filipino roots. While the Juke-8, the world’s first karaoke machine was built and invented by Japanese musician Daisuke Inoue in 1971, Filipino inventor Roberto del Rosario holds the machine’s patent and developed the Karaoke Sing-Along System in 1975. Since singing pop songs is a giant part of their culture and history, it’s not surprising that Filipino singers are often impressive.

The culture’s singing reputation has gotten global attention, to the point that some bands find their replacement singers there. One notable occasion was when Arnel Pineda, a Filipino club singer, was recorded singing Journey songs and had them posted on YouTube in 2007. Looking for a new lead singer for the band, Journey’s guitarist Neal Schon sent Pineda an email asking him to audition to be Journey’s new lead singer. Pineda has been a part of the band ever since.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Who knows what other great singers are out there in the Philippines that are about to break through internationally? It appears that there are plenty to choose from.

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Science

Health experts created a patch that can repair damaged hearts

German scientists found a way to fix a broken heart—literally

Photo credit: Canva

A new patch made of human cells could help repair damage from heart failure.

Scientists at the University Medical Center Göttingen in Germany have found a way to mend hearts. Not the metaphorical version, but literal flesh-and-blood hearts! Through cell manipulation they have successfully tested a patch that can strengthen heart tissue for those with heart disease and advanced heart failure.

“We now have, for the first time, a laboratory grown biological transplant available, which has the potential to stabilize and strengthen the heart muscle,” said co-author of the study, Prof. Ingo Kutschka to The Guardian.

In this study, the researchers took blood cells from a donor and “reprogrammed” them into mimicking stem cells. This allowed those cells to further change into heart muscle cells and connective tissue cells. After combining these cells with collagen, the scientists were able to create a graftable patch that could be implanted onto a damaged area of the heart to increase its strength. In fact, the completed heart muscle patches have the characteristics of a heart that is only four to eight years old.

Doctor checking a person's heart with a stethoscopeThese patches could help many people with heart problems.Photo credit: Canva

The reason for this experiment was two-fold. First, it was done to explore other health care options for people who need a donated heart, which is typically a very long waitlist. Secondly, because previous methods of injecting heart muscle cells into the heart have led to patients experiencing tumors or an irregular heartbeat, both of which could be fatal.

Initial trials of this heart patch have been promising. After successful trials with macaque monkeys, the researchers approached a 46-year-old woman with advanced heart failure to treat her with patches made with human cells after a minimally invasive procedure. Three months afterward, the patient received a transplant and the scientists were able to study her discarded heart that they had patched to see how effective their treatment was. They found that not only did the patches survive but they had developed their own blood supply.

While this is definitely great news for heart patients, there still needs to be further testing. As of now, it takes three to six months for these patches to fully benefit the patient, meaning that transplants would be prioritized for patients that urgently need a new heart. However, fifteen patients have been approved for the procedure and are currently being monitored with their new heart patches.

Surgeons with a box that says "Human Organ for Transplant"While this heart patch is an option, it cannot fully replace human heart transplants.Photo credit: Canva

While advances in heart medicine are great news overall, further research is needed to make sure this and other advances are viable in the long term. In the meantime, it’s best for everyone to take steps to ensure maximum heart health. This may sound like an afterschool special or a basic lesson in health class, but according to American Heart Association nearly half of American adults have a cardiovascular issue, so it might be good to have a refresher.

Woman checking her heart rate outside.Running and other cardiovascular exercise helps keep your heart rate up and helps keep your heart healthy.Photo credit: Canva

Make sure your diet is rich with heart-healthy foods like vegetables and fish, with little to no added fat, sugar, or salt. Exercise at least 150 minutes per week to keep your heart rate strong. Visit your doctor with regular check-ups to keep track of your overall health, so you can both create a treatment plan if something comes up.

Over time, more and more medical breakthroughs will occur, but it’ll be better to do what you can to ensure you’ll be around to see them.

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Wellness

Veggie haters share the best ways to eat broccoli and other greens

There are genius ways for picky eaters to get more veggies on their plate

Photo credit: Canva

There are many options for picky eaters to add more greens to their diet.

One person online is bringing a green, leafy, fibrous issue to the American kitchen table. Many grown adults still have trouble getting more vegetables in their diet, especially people who hate veggies or grew up hating them. The majority of people already know that a diet rich in vegetables can benefit them and have a healthier life than without them. So why is it so hard?

Picky eating isn’t uncommon during childhood, but more and more adults are identifying themselves as picky eaters. In a recent Pennsylvania University study, out of 489 participants interviewed, 35.5% were self-identified or qualified as picky eaters. So a Redditor struggling with this had a simple yet too relatable question: How do you incorporate more vegetables into your diet when you dislike vegetables?

A bunch of commenters on had some great tips. Most of them responded that it came down to preparation:

“Make good food. Seriously, if you don’t like a lot of vegetables I think it’s due to bad cooking. Quick example, I hated broccoli most of my life. It tasted like rubber and sucked. Well…. That’s because I only had broccoli boiled with no seasoning, and once I had it in stir fry with a bit of ginger and garlic etc… I love broccoli. I just hate boiled flavorless broccoli.”

Stir frying veggiesOften folks that don't eat their vegetables because they haven't been cooked correctly.Photo credit: Canva

“I didn't eat cooked vegetables until I was 22 and doing a semester abroad. My mom would basically just boil the hell out of vegetables, and if she made a stir-fry (which was more of an asian-themed steam), the veggies would be almost gray. They tried to bribe me with things like oreos and candy to try and get me to eat them. Then, my host family introduced me to roasted vegetables. And we went to a Thai place pretty frequently where I learned that stir-fried veggies could still be crisp. When I got home and ended up doing a lot of the cooking, I started properly cooking all of the veggies and shocked my parents by actually eating them.”

“Buying fresh versus frozen is a big difference, too. Grilled veggies are awesome.”

“Broccoli is the ideal sauce delivery vehicle, as in a stir fry. The crowns just hold onto it so well.”

Grilled vegetablesGrilling vegetables is a great way to try out different flavors and textures in each one.Photo credit: Canva

Other commenters that were even pickier went to more “exposure therapy” lengths to include veggies, or just outright hide them altogether:

“Hiding vegetables in food did the trick for me. Start small: Add a single tomato to your entire lasagna for example. Make sure you slice it into near infinite pieces to hide it. Next time, maybe add another vegetable. Or more of the same. The time after that you could slice one or more vegetables no longer into 1,000 pieces, but make the pieces a little bit bigger. This way, you can add more and more vegetables.”

“Pulse or chop the veggies VERY small, or even throw them in a blender for a little bit, just get them very fine. Then you can dump them into your meals like soup or taco meat or wherever. Kids (and some adults) can tolerate them much better when they're not so obvious. Heck, I do this with vegetables I'm not particularly fond of.”

“Blend them into sauces or cut them as small as you can get without driving yourself crazy by cutting them, then throw them into your dish. When they are itty bitty they are hard to avoid but the rest of the dish typically overpowers the flavor.”

Per study after study, article after article, there isn’t just one reason or theory as to why a person is a picky eater. Some studies say it’s genetic, others point to emotional trauma as a child, others say it’s due to fear of the unfamiliar, and all of them are valid potential reasons.

- YouTubeyoutube.com

Another strong contender to why there are so many picky eaters is that Americans often consume heavily processed foods since they are typically inexpensive and convenient. Due to how these foods are made, many vegetables within them are frozen or canned which not only diminishes their nutritional value but also alters their texture and taste. This can easily create an aversion to veggies in general since they either don’t taste good or fresh ones aren’t boosted with added sugar, salt, or fat to offset whatever taste they have.

If you’re a picky eater or just don’t care for certain veggies, luckily the methods mentioned above might help you. You may end up a veggie fan afterward or just find a way to hold your nose and tolerate it. If you have tried different cooking methods and other techniques but still struggle, know that you’re not alone. Research online for support groups such as Picky Eating Adults, Duke Health, or many other resources that are available to you.

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