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Valentighting: the seasonal dating trend to watch out for

Unhappy young millennial married couple sitting on couch in living room after quarrel fight. Angry husband frustrated offended wife at home. Break up, divorce and misunderstanding in relations concept
Valentine's Day can trigger a break-up. [Photo: Getty]

Breaking up is hard to do, but according to dating experts, the onset of Valentine’s Day – ostensibly the “most romantic day of the year” – this Friday might be acting as a trigger.

Yes – while this time of year can be tricky enough for single people, it seems a whole lot of people could have been newly-dumped by their partners.

According to a survey by extramarital dating website Illicit Encounters, more couples break up in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day than any other time of the year.

Read more: The ultimate last-minute Valentine’s Day 2020 gift guide

More than a third (37%) of survey participants said they had broken up with someone in the week before Valentine’s Day.

And there’s a term for this phenomenon, too.

Coined by Metro UK’s Ellen Scott, “Valentighting” is where your partner breaks off your relationship just before Valentine’s Day.

Read more: Not having sex on Valentine's Day? Don't worry, half of all couples aren't

The term is a blend of “Valentine’s” and “tight” – ie, when someone is too tight to spend money on their partner for Valentine’s Day (presumably because they’ve already got an inkling they want out).

Other possible justifications could include not wanting to spend a romantic day with someone they’re about to break up with.

However, rest assured commercialised romance is not dead – with some 37% of UK shoppers saying they were planning to spend money on loved ones this Valentine’s, according to a survey conducted by Retail Times.

Read more: Heinz and Fortnum & Mason have teamed up to create ketchup truffles for Valentine's Day

As for the age group most likely to be celebrating, it’s the 18-34 year olds – with 50% saying they were getting involved.

Divorce filings also have a seasonality of their own, with the first Monday back at work after the Christmas/New Year season infamously dubbed “Divorce Day”.

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