Every year, the 14th of February rolls around giving us an excuse to celebrate love! But with that celebration, comes the bombardment of Valentine’s Day marketing.

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Ten points for anyone that knows the true origins of St Valentine’s Day because it has had a complete overhaul. What started as a simple day of love with a card, flowers and maybe a little box of chocolates for your partner has now turned into five-course meals out, themed pyjamas, heart-shaped dine-in “deals” and limited edition must-haves.

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And people aren’t stopping there - in addition to partners, people are now giving cards to parents, siblings, friends and even pets. Restaurants are celebrating Valentine’s as well as Galentine’s. People are decorating their homes for the occasion, buying themed accessories and table decorations. It’s gone from one day, to a whole month of events, celebrations and gifts, making it a crucial time for retailers.

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Are we allowed to say that it’s turned into a massive marketing gimmick?

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Love should absolutely be celebrated, whether that’s with your partner or your friends or whoever, but according to Parcelhero, the UK is expected to spend over £2.8 billion on the holiday this year, with the average gift spend coming out at around £107! That’s a lot more than the cost of a box of chocolates.

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The existence of social media is only fueling the fire when it comes to gifting as people want presents that are attention-grabbing and aspirational. People want to show that they have given the MOST meaningful gift that proves they love their partner more than anyone else. And with that declaration of love usually comes a hefty price tag that guilts viewers into questioning if they’ve done enough for their loved ones.

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So, we turned to you. With all the commercialisation, we asked you for your honest thoughts about the potentially overrated (sorry) holiday, and here’s what you had to say:

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- It’s a day worth celebrating but it’s not as important as dates personal to me, like anniversaries with my partner

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- An excuse to go out and eat good food!

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- I have always marked it but don’t feel the need to go down the commercialised, tacky route - I enjoy the celebration of romance

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- It’s just another day to me

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- Love to celebrate it but hate the commercialism of it all - what was wrong with a bunch of flowers?

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- Skip the overcharged hype - stay in and focus on actually enjoying the people you love

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- An excuse to spend the day at home with my boyfriend and a BIG no to set menus in a restaurant with 20 other tables of couples, no thanks

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So, forget the over-hyped marketing because the truth is, many of us still like to celebrate. Remove the pressure and do what you want this Valentine’s Day. Take it from us, you don’t have to spend £107 to prove to your girlfriend that you love her.

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Love from the P2P team!

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