The annual holiday of love is inching closer and closer. If you have a Valentine this year, you’re probably already contemplating gift ideas. Your usual box of chocolates, a romantic card, piece of jewelry, fancy dinner date, and a bouquet of roses probably already crossed your mind. Regardless of what you choose, you know Valentine’s Day is the day to kick the romance up a notch.
But if you’re looking to give a gift a little differently this year, or happen to have a sweetheart who’s not into the whole mushy-gushy sort of thing, know that Bronx Zoo in New York is bringing back their beloved Valentine’s Day promotion: Name a Roach!
The promotion is exactly what it sounds like: You name a roach – a Madagascar hissing cockroach, that is. But you don’t name it just anything; the zoo encourages you to name it after your partner.
In exchange for a donation, the Bronx Zoo will provide you with a nifty digital certificate for your roach. There are other package options that not only include the certificate but a romantic roach candle and/or roach socks, depending on how much you wish to spend.
No worries if you don’t live near the Bronx, you can still participate in the seasonal promotion! The zoo allows you to name a roach from their online store.
And best of all, you don’t have to be in a romantic relationship to participate. Naming a cockroach after your BFF or a cousin you’re close with is fine too. But generally, the Name a Roach promotion is designed to be a sort of like a gag gift for the person who holds the key to your heart. I personally think it’d be a great gift for an exterminator or an entomologist!
And if you’re looking for a way to get some relief and a good laugh after a relationship that ended on bad terms, El Paso Zoo in Texas is doing something similar to the Bronx Zoo’s promotion called Quit Bugging Me. For free (or with a small donation if you wish), you can submit your ex’s first name to name a roach, and the zoo will be feeding the insect to one of their animals anywhere from February 14 to 16. The names of exes submitted will remain anonymous, and the zoo doesn’t ask for submitters’ names.
Regardless of what promotion you find most relevant, things are about to get creepy crawly this Valentine’s Day!
But since we’re all about love this February, learn more about Bronx Zoo’s promotion below.
Here’s an interview about this year’s event:
