In the COVID era, Valentine’s Day — a day that should bring people together — is posing something of a challenge to many.

But put those creative wheels in motion, and there are still plenty of ways to make this Valentine’s weekend special, regardless of the distances we may have to maintain.

Amid the persistent pandemic, a Stop & Shop survey found that this Valentine’s Day will be nothing but sweet, with over two-thirds (67 percent) of respondents planning to celebrate the holiday.

It also found that people will not give big gifts but will opt for something small, like flowers and a card, and 70 percent are simply staying home to celebrate with a home-cooked meal.

While all chocolate is good — minus the two percent of respondents who said they do not care for any chocolate, if you can believe it. For those who do, dark chocolate edged out milk chocolate as the preferred varietal, 43 to 40 percent.

For the nostalgic who would like to share their Valentine’s Day sentiments old school, definitely go for those classic conversation heart candies. About two out of three people asked love the little confections; on the other hand, 40 percent of respondents find them “gross.”

Speaking of old school, there is nothing like the wondrous smell of roses or fresh cut flowers to stoke the fires of passion this Valentine’s Day — or any day.

If you think maybe 2021 is the year to bypass the blooms, think again: Stop & Shop found that roses are still favored by more than half of their survey respondents (53 percent). Perhaps your beloved would prefer something other than the same old long-stems: Consider different varieties, like exotic orchids (preferred by 15 percent) or tulips (13 percent), a sweet sign of the spring to come.

Speaking Of Surveys

February not only ushers in Valentine’s Day — it means Galentine’s Day (February 13) and Singles Awareness Day (February 15) are right around the corner, too. The personal data licensing outfit Invisibly used its RealTime Research tool to understand people’s attitudes towards these February holidays and to learn about their plans.

Not surprisingly, almost half (47 percent) of those surveyed said their Valentine’s plans have been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions or threats, and it shows boomers are more likely than other generations to go out and have their plans be unaffected.

Here’s more of what Invisibly learned:

*40 percent do not plan to celebrate Valentine’s/Galentine’s or Singles Awareness Day this year;

*Of those who plan to celebrate in some way, 13 percent plan to go out and celebrate despite COVID;

*11 percent will opt to stay in and celebrate; and

*18 percent will spend the day with friends or family.

For those keeping it really distant, six percent said they will see their dates virtually.

As to which holiday people are celebrating most?

RealTime’s survey said 37 percent plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day — quite a difference from Stop & Shop’s survey, a contrast apparently driven by RealTime’s Gen Z and millennial respondents, who are much more interested in Singles Awareness Day than their Gen X or boomer counterparts.

All told, 18 percent plan to celebrate Singles Awareness Day, and only five percent are celebrating Galentine’s Day — which, coincidentally, is one of the more popular holidays here at The Newtown Bee.

An ‘Awe’-Full Alternative

So you want to really dazzle a date or newfound attraction who shares a love of sports or the great outdoors this Valentine’s Day? Just mask up and head about 90 minutes northwest of Newtown to idyllic Salisbury and treat them to the 95th Annual Jumpfest and US Eastern National Ski Jumping Championships.

This live, in-person outdoor event is the oldest ski jumping competition in New England and one of only six ski jump competitions on the East Coast, so just showing up with them should make your plus-one feel super special right off the bat... or the jump, as the situation may be.

Athletes, including Olympic contenders and some of the best junior ski jumpers in the United States, will compete during this three-day festival. Organizers have pulled this event together once again as a sign of resilience and hope to encourage people that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

With its wide-open outdoor setting, Jumpfest is one of the few major events in Connecticut being held in person this winter. All COVID-19 distancing protocols will be place and masks are required at the event.

Why is it in Salisbury?

As the story goes, in the winter of 1926 John Satre, a Salisbury resident, jumped off the roof of his shed wearing skis to show his friends and neighbors a sport he had learned in his homeland of Norway. Town residents were so amazed as Satre soared through the air that they decided to build a proper ski run that summer and form the Salisbury Winter Sports Association.

The association hosted the first ski jump competition in January 1927, and since then, Jumpfest has become a global destination and a highly anticipated event in Connecticut and throughout much of the East Coast.

Tickets can only be purchased at the gate on the day of each event on a first-come, first-served basis: Friday, February 12 from 6 to 8 pm and Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14 from 11 am to 3 pm. Capacity for the events will be limited to 400 people per day, and if you and your sweetie are traveling with kids under 12, they will be admitted for free.

If you choose not to make the trek but still want to enjoy the high-flying fun, uncork a bottle, settle in at home, and scope out the soaring skiers on Jumpfest’s live Facebook feed at facebook.com/salisburywintersports.

No matter what you do — and despite ever-present reminders of the pandemic — here’s hoping your Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, or Singles Awareness Day is upbeat, safe, and enjoyed with someone you care about.