While the Tuesday before Valentine's Day is often pinpointed as the number-one breakup day of the year (so often, in fact, that the it's been dubbed Red Tuesday, presumably because that's the color of dump day eyes), just because you make it through the 14th doesn't mean your relationship is in the clear.
The real breakup frenzy begins the week after V-Day, when divorce attorneys' phones start ringing off the hook and dating sites see a surge of newly-single folks hitting the open market.
What is it about the most romantic day of the year that causes couples to call it quits? For one thing, Valentine's Day—like New Year's—is an expectation holiday: It creates anxiety about what spending it with a particular someone really means (not to mention whether or not you've chosen the right gift/card/engagement ring).
What's more: Because love is in the air (and in the card aisle, and all over your Facebook feed), people are forced to confront the true level of commitment to their relationships.
But hey, since people are way more likely to throw themselves into work after a breakup, being beau-less for a bit could translate into a boost for your career. And that's something worth celebrating with a 50%-off box of Valentine's truffles.
You should also check out:
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Elizabeth Kiefer is a features editor at Cosmopolitan, where she focuses on enterprise stories, narrative reporting, and cultural coverage for the magazine's print and digital platforms.
-
Princess Diana’s Brother Earl Charles Spencer Speaks Out on the Kate Middleton Drama: “I Do Worry About What Happened to the Truth”
He also weighed in on whether the media frenzy was worse in the 1990s with Diana or in the present day with Kate.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Both Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively Appeared to Spoof the Kate Middleton Photoshop Scandal Over the Weekend
Yep, they went there.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Can Reformation Join You on Vacation?
The label is re-entering the swimwear chat just in time for summer.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
30 Female-Friendly Porn Websites for Any Mood
All the best websites, right this way.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
The 82 Best Cheap Date Ideas for Couples on a Budget
"Love don't cost a thing." —J.Lo
By The Editors Last updated
-
Diary of a Non-Monogamist
Rachel Krantz, author of the new book 'Open,' shares the ups and downs of her journey into the world of open relationships.
By Abigail Pesta Published
-
COVID Forced My Polyamorous Marriage to Become Monogamous
For Melanie LaForce, pandemic-induced social distancing guidelines meant she could no longer see men outside of her marriage. But monogamy didn't just change her relationship with her husband—it changed her relationship with herself.
By Melanie LaForce Published
-
COVID Uncoupling
How the pandemic has mutated our most personal disunions.
By Gretchen Voss Published
-
16 At-Home Date Ideas When You're Stuck Indoors
Staying in doesn't have to be boring.
By Katherine J. Igoe Published
-
Long Distance Relationship Gift Ideas for Couples Who've Made It This Far
Alexa, play "A Thousand Miles."
By Jaimie Potters Published
-
15 Couples on How 2020 Rocked Their Relationship
Couples confessed to Marie Claire how this year's many multi-stressors tested the limits of their love.
By Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW Published