State-Journal.com - Anti-Valentine's Day party leaves sour taste in their mouths

Photo By Hilly SchifferBailey Spade, 12, fits 61 Sour Patch Kids candies into his mouth as his friends, Church Gray, 12, and Jonathan Elder, 12, laugh at the anti-Valentine’s Day party at Paul Sawyier Public Library Monday.

Photo By Hilly SchifferNikki Smith, 16, makes a rose out of blue duct tape at the anti-Valentine's Day party Monday.

Black roses, sour treats and catapults for launching candy hearts - it wasn’t your typical Valentine’s Day party at Paul Sawyier Public Library Monday.

Middle and high schoolers gathered to celebrate anti-Valentine’s Day, the antithesis of the sappy, sweet and oh-so-pink holiday.

“I’ve always been the girl that never got any valentines at school,” said Lindsey Eastman, 12, as she folded strips of black duct tape into the shape of a rose.

“It was really embarrassing because all my friends would be showing off their valentines to everybody.”

She saw a sign at the library announcing the party, and she was intrigued by the idea of an anti-Valentine’s Day.

“It should be a national holiday,” she said.

Anti-Valentine’s Day celebrations at other libraries inspired Allison George, assistant youth services coordinator, to organize one for Frankfort teenagers.

“It doesn’t put any pressure on the kids to have a significant other,” she said. “It’s just a laid back time to have fun and make fun of the holiday.”

Teens slathered heart-shaped cookies with icing, constructed roses out of brown, blue and black duct tape, and wrote anti-valentines to their enemies.

They also competed to fit the most Sour Patch Kids candy in their mouths – the winner stuffed in 61 pieces at once.

George said teens can feel pressure from their classmates when they don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend – especially on a holiday that’s all about love.

“It offered them a time to be with other people that have the same attitude toward it,” she said.

But not every kid at the party hates Valentine’s Day. Three friends from Good Shepherd School sat around a table, constructing catapults for shooting candy hearts.

“We came out because there were cookies,” said Madeleine Watson, 11. “We’re not really anti-Valentine’s.”

The middle schoolers said they like trading valentines with their friends, eating sweets and going to parties. Trevor Onodu, 11, said he likes Valentine’s Day because “it’s a time for peace.”

Valentine’s Day falls on Sunday this year.

“I think it’s fun, and it’s an excuse to get chocolate,” said 11-year-old Celia Gray.

Chocolate was one thing Valentine’s lovers and haters agreed on.

“My ideal Valentine’s Day,” Lindsey said, as she wound a piece of wire around her black, duct tape rose, “would be drowning in chocolate.”