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Alone on Valentine’s Day? Twitter users share #WhyImSingle

If you're not a fan of Valentine's Day, there is always Singles Awareness Day.

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Andrew Innerarity/Reuters
Roses are a popular choice for Valentine's Day. About 15 percent of American women will send themselves flowers on this day.

For some people Valentine’s Day is a day to appreciate their significant other. For others, it can be a time to celebrate, mourn, or reflect their singleness.

And what better place to do so than on Twitter.

On Thursday night, NBC's "The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon invited viewers to share the reason for their solitude on Twitter with the hashtag #WhyImSingle. He then spent part of the show reading some responses. The range of excuses goes from hilarious to creepy to just sad.

While Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate a romantic relationship, many decided that it should also be a day to celebrate singleness. Singles Awareness Day has also popped up in recent years and is celebrated – or mourned – in conjunction with the festive day. The International Business Times reported that it is also known as “Quirkyalone Day,” and is a time when about 15 percent of American women send flowers to themselves.

AmericanSingles.com, an online dating service, found in a poll that 60 percent of singles felt lonely on Valentine’s Day, and an additional 7 percent saying it makes them feel frustrated and pressured to be in a relationship. But, 15 percent also responded hopefully, feeling inspired to get out there and meet their special someone.

Whether you are in the mood for love or moping, it is undeniable that February 14 is a mega-commercial holiday. It is a $14.7 billion industry in the US, with the average person spending about $142 on gifts and plans. That may be changing: a study found that this year, one in three couples said ‘no gifts’ for Valentine’s Day this year, reported The Christian Science Monitor.

Regardless, Saturday will be a day to think about whatever stage of life you are in and how you feel about it (or the other person). But if you are worried about being single, maybe refrain from sending those “romantic” hissing cockroach valentines.

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