Fear of Valentine's Day

According to a recent study by a popular dating service called It's Just Lunch, men do not hate Valentine's Day, but actually fear it. In a poll involving 4400 North American men and women, 42 percent of males claimed that finding a mate was at the top of their list. 35 percent said they never put any effort into looking for "the one", and a full third of single men admitted they intentionally avoid getting into relationships between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. If you probe deeper, it's not the holiday alone they fear, but the fear of rejection through the holidays, in addition to impulsive buying and racking up higher balances on their credit cards.

40% of the women surveyed say they don't expect a Valentine's gift unless they're in a committed relationship, or into three months of dating the same guy. For women dating less than two weeks, 4% expected a Valentine's Day gift. So, if women say they aren't expecting the candy, roses and maybe a dinner date, what places terror in the hearts of single men?

It’s Just Lunch spokesperson, Jacquie Brownridge says keep it simple: "If there's ever a time for men to shed their shyness, Valentine's Day is it. It takes much less than men expect for women to feel appreciated, and every gesture gets bonus points on Valentine's Day. At the very least, smile at a woman you've never met before, she'll think cupid's taking aim and may strike up a conversation."


42 percent of the men in the survey said finding a compatible match was their No. 1 priority for the coming year, compared to 24 percent who ranked career as their top priority. 12 percent would like to go out on more dates, 12 percent rated health as their top priority and 10 percent were focused on growing personal wealth.

Men and women agreed that friends and family are the best means of finding compatible matches, followed by a dating service and all are open to going out with someone they meet on a social network like Facebook. Men were more likely to think a bar vs. the gym is better for meeting prospective dates.

41 percent of the men surveyed think it’s too corny to schedule a first date on Valentine’s Day, whereas 62 percent of women said they would. Only 4 percent of women put a box of chocolates on their list of nice Valentine’s Day gifts. They perceive chocolates as a last-minute gift idea and impersonal. Flowers are the ideal gift for over a third of single women in the survey and only 8 percent of women consider sexy lingerie a welcoming Valentine’s Day offering.

After all the surveys and interviews, single men still shudder at the thought of Valentine's Day, mostly intimidated and afraid their idea of celebrating or gift giving will not be enough or never satisfy the one they love. Still begging the age old question, just what do women want???

Happy Valentine's Day!