The team behind the OnePoll survey wanted to know how people feel about Valentine’s Day, and they found that many still see the holiday as a bit "fake." Specifically, 29% said the day’s only purpose is to get us to spend extra money in stores. Yet, most see it as a wonderful way to express love.
And here’s the twist!
The researchers also asked about exes, since not everyone filling out the survey was happily coupled—many were probably daydreaming about their exes in mid-February. And it looks like they really were! 44% said they have an ex they’d happily reconnect with, even if just for a romantic evening on Valentine’s Day. Not too surprising, men were more open to this: 52% said they could name exes they’d joyfully get back together with, compared to 36% of women.
It’s Not the Oldest Who Dream the Most
Interestingly, it’s not the older generation who get nostalgic on Valentine’s Day—in fact, it’s quite the opposite.
The Gen Z crowd, aged 18 to 25, reported that 65% of them are still in love with an ex.
Even though many are currently in relationships with someone else. It makes sense—young people often lack experience in starting and ending relationships and managing their feelings. They tend to jump from one relationship to another, often without fully closing the previous chapter.
The millennial generation, born between 1980 and 1994 and well into adulthood, also showed high numbers: 49% said they have a special ex with whom love could easily reignite. This likely reflects different reasons—after years, many realize a breakup was a mistake or feel they didn’t do enough for the relationship. Maybe there was something with that ex that worked really well and hasn’t been found since…
Whatever the reason, at least every other person has an ex they’d happily start over with. That’s a pretty thought-provoking stat.
We Just Don’t Want to Let Go
It seems we’re not hiding from ourselves that we have an appealing ex, even if we try to keep it from our current partner. Another survey of 1,000 people showed that 65% still hold onto memories from their ex. We cling to objects, love letters, photos, and jewelry once gifted by a former love. Plus, 40% admitted they keep not just one but at least two or more such mementos.
Why Do We Keep Them?
You might think it’s because there’s hope for a reunion, and that’s partly true—44% said they keep these items because of the “fond memories” attached. This closely matches the share of those open to reconciling with an ex. The romantic hopefuls are joined by those who believe the relationship was a defining part of their lives and don’t want to let go of those shared memories. Then there are the realists, 38%, who keep these things simply because they still serve a practical purpose at home or in their lives.
