Heterosexual women are the demographic most likely to have felt disappointed by a romantic partner not doing enough on Valentine’s Day, a YouGov poll has revealed.
Thirty eight percent of the heterosexual women polled agreed that they had felt disappointed by a partner on the romantic holiday, more than any other gender and sexuality group.
In comparison, 80% of heterosexual men answered that they had never felt disappointed by a partner not doing enough on Valentine’s day, making them the most satisfied of the demographics polled.
The data revealed a greater trend of women being more dissatisfied with their partner’s efforts than men; 38% of all women polled admitted to feeling disappointed, compared to 12% of men.
The trend was apparent even among the LGBT+ people polled- lesbian and bisexual women were more likely to have felt disappointed by a romantic partner on the holiday than gay and bisexual men, with 26% and 22% agreeing respectively.
For 24 year-old London couple Serena* and Theo* differing expectations regarding the effort they put into their first Valentine’s Day nearly lead to a breakup in 2023.
Serena said: “Our first Valentine’s was a disaster; I think he got me a card, and even then he only signed his name in it.”
Theo agreed: “I’d never had a relationship where we celebrated Valentine’s day, so I was worried about overdoing it.”
The miscommunication stemmed from differing ideas about the meaning of the holiday for the pair.
Serena said: “It was a bit my fault too, because I hadn’t really explained that Valentine’s Day meant a lot to me.
“He just thought of it as a calendar holiday, rather than the celebration it is to me.”
Theo’s perception of Valentine’s day was of a commercial event, rather than a romantic holiday, an opinion shared by 82% of Britons.
Yet, after having a conversation about their expectations after last year’s holiday, the couple are both feeling more optimistic for the 2024 celebration.
Theo said: “I do have a big plan for this year, but I can’t say too much without spoiling it.
“I still think the day’s a bit commercial, but it means a lot to her, so I’m pulling through.”
*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.
