Valentine's Day is a tricky holiday. It can be quite blissful for happy couples whose plans go off without a hitch. But for those “uncoupled” or for couples who may hit a few snags in their plans, the day can lead to stress and anxiety. Some people would rather forego the traditional Valentine's Day activities and find a different way to expend energy. How about a pillow fight?

At precisely 5:30 p.m. on Valentine's Day, in true flash mob style, a crowd of about 350 people began slinging pillows at each other at the Vance Monument in the heart of downtown Asheville. The Anti-Valentine's Day Flash Mob Pillow Fight had been brewing for a few weeks on the Internet, primarily on Facebook. Numerous onlookers stood on the outskirts of the fray to simply watch or take photos or video.

Such pillow fights have been a San Francisco tradition, and other cities in the United States and Canada have pulled off the feat as well. This year was a first for Asheville to attempt a mass pillow fight. While blue skies and unseasonably warm temperatures prevailed throughout the day, heavy winds blew through Pack Square and the temperature steadily dropped throughout the event that lasted about 45 minutes.

As the designated time neared, such a large crowd of people had gathered near the monument that it was clear something was going on. Many people had their pillows hidden, while others had theirs in plain view. Suddenly there was a scream and a few folks charged into the crowd and the pillow fight was underway.

Organizers had asked participants to not use feather pillows so as to avoid the mess that would ensue from feathers flying around Pack Square. Fortunately, almost all the participants honored the request as feather pillows were few. Some people, though, did bring items other than pillows such as a giant stuffed panda. One man was seen pounding a friend with a teddy bear while yelling "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Pillow fighters varied from young to old, from hipsters to punks, hippies to average working folks. The participants also spanned generations as some children barely old enough to walk were spotted, and the ages went up from there.

Occasional yells would emanate from the crowd such as "Freedom!" The fights would die down and then pick up again over and over. New people would join in, others would drop out. One man exited the fracas exclaiming, "That was so much fun!"

Police presence was minimal early with just a few reprimands by police telling participants to stay out of the road. Pillow fights sometimes carried into the streets and on occasion cars whose occupants had pillows would drive by and battle with those on foot. A few more officers came to the scene later, but they primarily stood back and watched the spectacle unfold.

The attire of the participants ranged from "normal" to wacky outfits featuring such items as a Santa hat, a ninja costume, decorative stockings, helmets, goggles, a wedding dress, and faux fur pants. The raucous gathering finally ended with tired participants lying down in a large pile for some rest prior to heading out for the rest of their evenings.

Overall, the event proved to be a fun way to release some Valentine's Day stress.