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How to survive Valentine's Day as a single person
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Some of the carnations Hayden Godfrey bought for his female classmates at Sky View High School for Valentine's Day are pictures on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. - photo by Herb Scribner
Singles dont hate Valentines Day.

In fact, it may be one of the best days of the year for them. The dating app Coffee Meets Bagel found that almost 40 percent of singles find it appropriate to have a first date on the most romantic day of the year, even if theyve known their potential partner for a week or less.

In fact, the survey, which asked 830 app users questions about their dating life, found singles think its fine to propose a date within 24 hours of meeting someone on Valentines Day, according to a press release emailed to the Deseret News.

Of course, date options vary. About one-third of singles say daters should enjoy something different, like a cooking class, on the holiday. Meanwhile, 14 percent want to go out and 4 percent prefer dancing or karaoke, according to the survey.

But Sharon Schweitzer, an internationally recognized etiquette expert and author, told the Deseret News that first dates can be awkward.

She said that sometimes its uncomfortable figuring out who pays the bill or trying to let your date know that he or she has spinach in his or her teeth.

But these first dates dont have to be a deterrent from a good time.

Maybe you spilled your soup all over your nice Polo shirt, Schweitzer said in an email. Maybe you walked into a glass door. Perhaps the comedian at the show pulled you on to the stage and had a little fun with you. Dont let these awkward situations get the best of you. Your demeanor and how you handle it tells your date a lot about you.

Its also possible youll run into some unforeseen circumstances, like seeing your ex or your boss. Maybe you bring up sensitive subjects accidentally or find yourself in a miserable scenario.

Regardless, Schweitzer advises you try to pull through.

Although you might not necessarily care for your date or be having the time of your life, its a few hours at most so try to make the best of it, she said. Refrain from pulling out your Smartphone and texting your friends or surfing the web. If all else fails and the date has no end in sight, simply say something like, I apologize. I do need to get going soon as I have a big presentation at work tomorrow morning.