Do you hate Valentine's Day? There is a market for you too.

Lilly Calman is not in the mood for flowers, chocolates or a romantic dinner for two this Valentine's Day, especially after a recent breakup.

“I'm very angry,” said Ms. Calman, 26, adding that it was painful to see all the holiday essentials in the store aisles.

This year she found a more suitable outlet for her mood: fundraiser for the San Antonio Zoo which will symbolically name a cockroach or rodent after an ex and feed it to one of the zoo's animals.

“The visual image of him being eaten by a Komodo dragon is quite satisfying,” said Ms. Calman, who donated $25 for the rat option. She hopes the zoo will send her a video so she can organize a display with a friend. “I love reptiles. I think it's cool.”

The annual campaign has raised more than $235,000 since the zoo first hosted it in 2020, underscoring the appeal of alternative Valentine's Day rituals for those not interested in putting it all together.

The traditions of Valentine's Day bring with them strong feelings, both for and against. Do you like a fun tradition? Or do you consider it a consumerist scam? Critics have blamed the country for upholding a narrow model of relationships as heterosexual and monogamous.

But the vacation and its expenses lead nowhere; a majority of people in the United States plan to celebrate or mark the day this year, according to this year's version of an annual survey by the National Retail Federationan industry lobby group.

However, those celebrations have expanded to include friends and family, pets and even yourself. Marketers are taking notice and are trying to find more options that appeal to even the naysayers.

“Valentine's Day is a holiday that has actually changed over time,” says Barbara Bickart, associate professor of marketing at Boston University's Questrom School of Business. “Marketers are looking for ways to be more inclusive and sensitive.”

For example, the candy brand Sweethearts launched this year a “situationships' edition with blurry writing for people in undefined relationships. (They sold out quickly, Evan Brock, vice president of marketing at Spangler Candy Company, said in a statement.)

What to do on Valentine's Day itself, when couples holding roses fill the restaurant tables? Marco Di Pinto organized a comedy show 'Anti-Valentine's Day' in London in recent years.

Comedians will encourage singles to share their terrible dating and relationship stories, he said. Couples will be roasted – with great pleasure. “I think this is a silly party,” he said. “If we do a show like this, maybe people will feel more involved.”

João Pedro Santos, 41, has attended the comedy show for the past few years – with his girlfriend. “That was one of the things that united us,” he says. “It's about tampering with the whole Valentine's Day concept.”

Spending on romantic relationships still dominates the holidays, but the demographics provide insights into an ever-widening range. About 30 percent of Americans are singleaccording to a 2022 survey from the Pew Research Center, and more than half of them say they are not looking for a date.

“Marketers are alienating entire groups of consumers — not only is that bad for society, but it's also bad for business in general,” said Angeline Close Scheinbaum, associate professor of marketing in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business Clemson University.

“This is an excellent time to communicate with people,” said Peter McGraw, a behavioral economist at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of “Solo: Building a Remarkable Life of Your Own,” adding that companies could do more to accommodate come to a large group. He pointed to the spending spree on Alibaba's Singles Day on Nov. 11, a lucrative day for online shopping in China. “It's just so easy to do in your posts.”

Even the self-care market, which has become a multi-billion dollar industry, is now capitalizing on the holidays. Searches on Etsy for “self-gift” ahead of Valentine's Day increased 12 percent this year compared to last year, the company said.

“Learning how to love myself is a big undertaking right now,” says Kim McCoy, a speech-language pathologist from Oregon. This year, after a breakup, Mrs. McCoy is taking some time for herself. She bought herself some flowers and plans to attend an “ecstatic dance event” with a friend.

Naming a rat after her ex made Ms. Calman feel better, but it also helped her connect with friends and family while sharing a funny story. “Maybe platonic love is more important,” she said. “I get to spend it with people I love and care about, doing things we enjoy.”

The marketing surrounding the day can ultimately hide the truth about why the holiday has persisted through time. “The point of the day is pure,” said Dr. Scheinbaum. “It is to celebrate and acknowledge love – and that will never go away.”