If you're feeling lonely on Valentine's Day, why not try sacrificing a goat and dancing in the town square wearing nothing but a thong made from its skin? (PLEASE don’t do that—you WILL get arrested.) But if you asked the Ancient Romans, that’s probably what they’d recommend. Technically, the Romans didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but they did have Lupercalia, its chaotic, goat-blood-soaked precursor. And, frankly, that sounds a lot less depressing than eating an entire chocolate mousse cake alone in your apartment while watching The Notebook. These days, experts suggest spending Valentine’s Day by appreciating the real-life connections you do have—romantic or otherwise. That’s certainly the healthy way to celebrate, especially in an era where one in three Americans feels lonely every week. So yeah maybe do that — take the “healthfully celebrating love in all its forms” route versus, you know, the animal sacrifice and streaking… it’ll probably work out better for you in the end. ...