New Study: 2021 is the Year of the Virtual Valentine’s Day

A new study from dating site EliteSingles has shown that, with the pandemic affecting in-person meet-ups this February, romance is heading online. In fact, two-thirds of people (65%) are looking forward to celebrating a virtual Valentine’s Day in 2021.

  • 93% of people want to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2021
  • 65% want to celebrate Valentine’s Day virtually this February
  • The most popular virtual Valentine’s gift is a love letter
  • The most popular virtual date idea is cooking a meal together via video
  • 27% of people always celebrate Valentine’s Day, even if they don’t have a date for the 14th

A new EliteSingles study of 800 singles (people who are dating or looking for love, who do not live with a partner) has shown that many Valentine’s Day celebrations will be going virtual in 2021.

The study revealed that, despite a year of upheavals, 93% of people still want to celebrate Valentine’s Day this February. However, the way that will happen is likely to be more socially distant than normal: 65% of people are planning on having a virtual Valentine’s Day in 2021.

The most wanted gift for these socially distanced Valentines is a love letter, with 37% of respondents hoping to receive some words from the heart. A further 23% of respondents say they want to be sent flowers as a Valentine’s treat, 11% would like to be sent a romantic playlist or mixtape, 10% want wine, and 6% chocolate.

As well as swapping gifts, those surveyed are planning on having distanced date nights on the 14th. 22% of people in the survey want to cook a gourmet meal together from their separate homes, 19% want to watch the same movie together via video, 14% plan on getting the same food delivered, 12% will take an online class together and 7% plan on attending an online concert or virtual tour.

However, the survey also indicated that smaller is better when it comes to virtual Valentine’s plans: while 88% of people in the survey call themselves romantics, just 20% want an extravagant celebration on the 14th. 80% prefer Valentine’s Day to be intimate rather than elaborate.

Finally, the survey indicated that not being able to find a date for Valentine’s Day is no barrier to celebration. More than a quarter of singles – 27% – say that they always celebrate Valentine’s Day, even if they don’t have a date for the 14th.

See more on this study in our in-depth article: 3 Long-distance Valentine’s Day Tips to Try This February

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About EliteSingles
EliteSingles is designed for successful single professionals seeking a committed, fulfilling long-term relationship. EliteSingles is part of Spark Networks SE (NYSE American “LOV’’), one of the global leaders in online dating. Operating in 29 countries and supporting 15 languages, Spark Networks has headquarters in Berlin, and offices in New York, San Francisco, and Utah.

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