Survey Results

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’re in a romantic mood here at Caddle. We’ve been wondering what Canadians are up to on the big day, how they spend time and money with their partner, and whether they had plans to celebrate this day of love.

Valentine’s Day traditions

When it came time to decide how to spend Valentine’s Day 2019, responses were split in a recent Caddle survey; while 25% looked forward to buying presents for their significant other, 21% said they and their honey don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Treating their significant other to an experience and being unsure if they will celebrate were tied for third at 19%, while not celebrating at all trailed in fourth place at 15%.

Who is Saint Valentine?

St. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, epileptics, and beekeepers. By some accounts, he suffered martyrdom during the persecutions of Christians by emperor Claudius II Gothicus circa 270. According to legend, he had signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter (who became a friend) and healed her from blindness. Another common legend states that he defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. – Source: Britannica.com

Valentine’s Day gifts

Asked what they think the best way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is, respondents know what they like. Spending time with their significant other was the clear winner at 49%, while “doing something special/being treated to an experience” trailed in a distant second at 22%. Not celebrating Valentine’s Day (10%), “a simple card is good enough for me” (7%), “being showered with gifts” (5%), “gifts, cards, and a special experience” and “Other” ( tied at 3%) rounded out the answers.

How much to spend on Valentine’s Day?

Once you’ve chosen how you’d like to spend your time and money making memories with the one you love, you’ve got to decide how much to spend. Respondents to this survey are conservative spenders when it comes to Valentine’s Day, with 36% saying one person should spend less than $20. Spending in the $21 to $50 range fell closely behind at 35%, while 16% came in a distant third with a range of $51 to $100. Eight percent fell into the “Other” category, while 5% said $101 to $200, and 1% would go all out at $201 to $500. No respondents said they would spend more than $500.

Gifts infused with meaning always win hearts, and our respondents were no different; 29% said the best Valentine’s Day gifts are “something that means something to me”, while 21% would like to be surprised with something they want but probably wouldn’t buy for themselves and 14% were more pragmatic, preferring “something practical.” Following behind were the 13% who don’t do gifts on Valentine’s Day. Traditionalists who prefer flowers or chocolates and “something simple and sweet like a card” tied for fifth place at 11%.

Did you know?

Richard Cadbury, a scion of the Cadburys, a British chocolate manufacturing family, started the tradition of giving a box of candy in the 19th century. The company had recently established a new technique to create more varieties of chocolate, and Cadbury pounced on the opportunity to sell the chocolates as part of the beloved holiday. – Source: History.com 

Valentine’s Day Experiences

If you lean more towards experiences, you’ve got lots of options, from meals to a night on the town or even scratching an item off your bucket list. Asked what they think the best Valentine’s Day gifts/experiences are, 35% want “a nice meal together”. The rest of the answers were distant favourites, with 14% looking to book “some alone time without the kids” and 11% wanting “a night with the family”. “A unique night out” and “a meal cooked together” tied for fourth place at 9%. Eight percent don’t do anything for

Valentine’s Day, 6% would love “a night away”, and 4% were in the “Other” category. A “wine tasting/tour” and “something off our bucket list” tied for last place at 2%.

Whether you spend Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart on the town, having a quiet meal in, or surprising them with a gift or experience to brighten their day, what’s really important is expressing how much you mean to each other.

You can create an amazing Valentine’s Day for you and your flame by putting your Caddle cash towards a special gift or crafting an evening just for the two of you. If you’re single, why not take the day for some well-deserved self-care?  Start creating your own Valentine’s day traditions today.

Read More: Our Career Survey revealed Canadians want more than just a pay cheque at work.