Kayla Kane, a 27-year-old content creator, isn’t one to celebrate personal milestones with grand gestures. She typically keeps birthdays low-key and often lets major life events pass without much fanfare. However, after breaking a year-long dry spell following a recent date, Kane decided the occasion deserved recognition. To commemorate the moment, she hosted an “anti-celibacy” party, inviting her closest friends to join in the unconventional celebration.
The celebration included a pink cake that read “1 year celibacy” with an “X” drawn over it in frosting. A video of the moment posted to Instagram racked up over 700,000 views and prompted thousands of supportive comments, many from people saying they now feel encouraged to celebrate “minor victories” in their own lives.
“I personally have just been trying to put myself out there and experience things, and that was worth celebrating,” Kane said. “Something I love about this generation is just everybody is so unserious, and it brings so much more joy just back into little things and minor victories in life.”
Take a look at the video:
Kane’s story goes back about two years, when she went on a date with a coworker after hearing through a mutual friend that he was interested in her. The date didn’t lead to anything—“It was a mutual ghost situation, and I effectively have scrubbed it from my memory,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Kane’s story goes back about two years, when she went on a date with a coworker after hearing through a mutual friend that he was interested in her. The date didn’t lead to anything—“It was a mutual ghost situation, and I effectively have scrubbed it from my memory,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Then, just two weeks ago, the same man texted her while in town for a family wedding and asked if she’d be his plus-one. Kane said yes, curious about the idea of stepping into a real-life version of the 2005 rom-com The Wedding Date.
“I was basically living The Wedding Date in real life,” she said. “I met all his family right away.”
The night went better than expected, and Kane filled her friends in on all the details. That’s when they came up with the idea for a party. “We put it together really last minute,” she said. “A couple of my girlfriends came over. We sat, spilled the tea, drank some cosmos, of course, and relived my Sex and the City dreams basically.”
But the evening wasn’t just about Kane. Her friends shared stories of their own dating lives, turning the night into a celebration of vulnerability, connection, and trying new things. “The whole event was about encouraging new experiences, encouraging open-mindedness as well and just opening yourself up to saying yes to the world sometimes,” she said.
Kane said the best part of the night was documenting it all through photos and videos. Although she was nervous to share it online, the overwhelming support made her feel validated. “I was just like, ‘You know what? I think that this will inspire other people to just again, find some more joy in those little things,’” she said. “It was received way better than I thought it would be.”
She also clarified that the party wasn’t meant to mock celibacy or those who choose it—it was simply about making space for more joy in life.
Kane believes part of the video’s appeal lies in its reminder to pause and appreciate small moments in an increasingly fast-paced world. “It’s just such a ‘go go’ atmosphere that people rarely leave time to take a moment for these little things that do matter,” she said. “And, if you’re not celebrating the big things, then you’re definitely not celebrating the small things.”
Psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis agrees that there’s nothing wrong with celebrating moments like these—as long as it’s something you truly want to do. She said making room for joy is vital to mental well-being.