6 Love-Related Holidays You Didn't Know About

Everybody loves a good holiday — and even better if they're holidays about love, at least for those of us with brimming hearts and healthy attachment styles. Valentine’s Day is almost here, and will soon be gone… and then what? Well, lovers, you are in luck, because there are loads of different romantic holidays throughout the year. No spoilers, but some of them seem like genuine efforts to encourage singles to find love or couples to reconnect, and unfortunately others seem like feeble attempts at some self-serving goal, or the holiday’s founder had too much time on his or her hands. But that’s OK, because whether they’re laughable or inspire us to be more loving toward our significant others, promoting love, lust, and romance is never a bad thing. In fact, our species is predicated on us keeping the love alive. (Though seriously, we could chill on the reproduction for a second, we already have PLENTY of people.)

So don’t cry for the coming-and-going of Valentine’s Day! With these six love-related holidays on the horizon, you’ll be busy for months to come — and before you know it, it will be Valentine’s Day again… and that cycle will continue again and again until you die. Sorry for being a bummer, but honestly if anything can keep the vibe from becoming too morbid and sad, it’s got to be l-o-v-e, love!

1. International Flirting Week

So you're spending Valentine's Day single? Ain't no thang, girl! Brush your shoulders off, because it's about to get coquettish up in here!!! The second or third week in February (there are conflicting sources, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, INTERNATIONAL FLIRTING COMMITTEE!) — basically now — is International Flirting Week. Having a tough time making a move? Channel your inner Joey Tribbiani, and try out these flirting tips.

2. National Send Your Man Nudes Day

WHAAAT?! Better start figuring out your best angles, because April 22, a.k.a. National Send Your Man Nudes Day, is right around the corner — a day devoted to sexting your man pics in all your naked glory! Mmmmk bros, quick question though: Who invented this holiday... The Shell cashier down the block who could draw all the neighborhood boobs from memory? Your mid-life crisis Uncle Bruce? Some dude named Randy? If coming up with a "holiday" is what it took for a guy to finally get some nudie pics on his smartphone, hats off to your resourcefulness, sir! And shirt off and panties off... I think we all know how this works.

3. National Date Your Mate Month

Get out your party dress, because it's time for movie tickets and dinner reservations. May is National Date Your Mate Month! Healthy, successful long-term relationships require an element of play, which reinvigorates our relationship with our partner and keeps it feeling fresh and connected — a tough thing to maintain when we're slogging through the day-to-day of life. Give your SO the gift of quality time, and remember how fun it is just to hang out, even if it's limited to dancing through the aisles at Staples when you're running errands together.

4. National Kissing Day

Be it soft and tender or torrid and passionate, July 6 is National Kissing Day. Kissing is dope: it allows us to suss out whether or not a potential partner is a good match, it releases endorphins into our bodies (which makes us feel awesome), and how much a couple kisses is directly related to their relationship satisfaction. Want to brush up on your lip service? Check out these scientifically-backed tips to becoming a better kisser.

5. Global Orgasm Day

Founded by anti-war activists Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell in 2006, Global Orgasm Day has become an annual day of international... release, if you will. The holiday will be celebrated on December 22, 2015 to coincide with the end of winter solstice, and the idea is for participants worldwide to have an orgasm while thinking about peace... or Chris Pine, AMIRITE LADIES!

6. National Hugging Day

Founded by Michiganian Kevin Zaborney in 1986, National Hugging Day occurs annually on January 21. Zaborney selected the late January date because he felt it marked a mid-point between the Christmas and New Year's holidays and Valentine's Day when people tend to be in lower spirits. He hoped the holiday would encourage Americans to show their affections in public. To avoid awkward encounters, it is, of course, best to ask your intended recipient beforehand if you're unsure how your hug will be received.

And if you hate love as much as I do at the moment (this has got to be temporary, right?), then just chill until Independence Day when you can celebrate the freedom to be your own solitary miserable self in the GREATEST EFFING COUNTRY ON THE PLANET! (ugly cry face)

Images: Getty; Giphy (6); MeepisMurder/Twitter