Some will spend a lot on cards and presents. But the gift most favoured by Irish people today is simply "a little love and attention" a survey of romantic attitudes has found. Kitty Holland and Olivia Kelleher report.
And while 77 per cent of respondents feel St Valentine's Day is "over-rated", over 50 per cent will spend between €41 and €100 on gifts for their loved one.
The survey of 1,000 Irish adults, carried out by the RecruitIreland.com website over the past fortnight, found the highest proportion of people (45 per cent) believed that rather than spending money on jewellery or flowers, lovers should simply give one another a little tender loving care.
This compared with the 11 per cent who said the best gift one could give on Valentine's Day was jewellery, with 25 per cent favouring flowers.
Just 5 per cent said champagne was the most desirable offering with a sweet-toothed 3 per cent seeking chocolates.
The RecruitIreland.com survey, found that 79 per cent of people feel the Irish are less romantic than other nationalities.
Women in particular feel this. While 67 per cent of men feel the Irish are less romantic, 85 per cent of women do.
The survey looked in detail at people's attitudes to workplace romances, and found 18 per cent met their current partner through work. Some 25 per cent met their partner through friends or family, 28 per cent met them in a pub or nightclub, 10 per cent met them at a sporting event or evening class and 0.8 per cent found love through a dating agency.
The vast majority - 84 per cent - felt employers did not have the right to know when their employees were romantically involved with each other.
On a happier note, Mr Keith Farrell, of Youghal, Co Cork, got engaged to Ms Alicia Moore yesterday at Fota Wildlife Park.
"Shall I compare thee to a cheetah?" may not be the stuff of sonnets but yesterday it was enough for the couple to win a diamond ring worth over €3,600 to celebrate their engagement.
Contestants were asked to compare their loved ones to an animal in the park. Keith said Alicia was "fast, wild and free" and felt sure she would never dream of "cheat-ahing" on him.