Top 30 ways Brits express love and affection – from giving compliments to taking the bins out and getting handy with DIY
WITH Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many of us are feeling the love right now.
Though you might associate the holiday with grand gestures, it turns out us Brits have much more subtle ways of saying ‘I love you’.
From doing the washing up to hand-written notes, many of us have surprisingly sweet ways to let our loved ones know we care – according to new research by Hallmark.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the gift manufacturer has surveyed 2000 adults and revealed the top 30 ways Brits express their love.
As a nation famous for the written word, it’s hardly surprising that hand written notes made the list with 52 per cent of people revealing they’d sent love notes.
It seems like most of us don’t struggle with finding the right words either, as 73 per cent those surveyed said that they found the gesture romantic.
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Meanwhile, two out of ten adults will send flowers to their friends and family to spread the love.
Just a handful opted for a grand gesture though, with only three per cent of Brits getting matching tattoos with the ones they loved.
Instead, most preferred smaller acts of love such as cooking dinner and even, doing the washing up.
Roughly 16 per cent even confessed that they show they care by completing DIY tasks around the house - with 44 per cent considering such gestures as 'romantic'.
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For those that are surprised about this fact, Hallmark’s writing director, Emma Bragg, has revealed why they mean so much to us.
“In this modern digital world, the time it takes to send a handwritten note or card can make the recipient feel loved and appreciated,” she explained, with practical tasks being similarly significant to our partners.
She added: “From traditional things such as writing a love letter, to practical things like making the bed and mending something around the house, the research shows Brits have done it all.
“But whoever you love and however you love, the most important thing is to make sure the people you love know it.”
For those that still struggle with romantic gestures, you aren’t alone as over 29 per cent of people confessed that they find it hard to express their feelings – despite being a romantic.
Thankfully, the card retailer has enlisted dating expert Hayley Quinn to help you woo your other half.
She claims that it’s all about finding your partner’s ‘love language’ - a term used to describe the ways in which our other halves want to receive and experience love.
“It’s important to see how your love language aligns with your partner’s because a lot of the time they will value different things to you,” revealed the dating expert.
She added that differing love languages can often make it hard to show how much you appreciate your loved ones.
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“Whilst you made the bed in the morning to show how much you care, they may connect more with a handwritten note,” she revealed, urging couples to learn their partner love language to deepen their bond.
She added: “Your partner’s Valentine’s Day gesture may not be like something out of a rom-com (and we shouldn’t expect it to be), but if you understand their love language you’ll know how much they care.”
TOP 30 WAYS BRITS EXPRESS THEIR LOVE
Hallmark's list of Brits' best ways to show we care, which include:
1. Cooking dinner for them
2. Making food you know they’ll like
3. Complimenting how they look
4. Celebrating their small achievements
5. Saying you miss them
6. Putting them first in situations
7. Holding their hand in public
8. Completing tasks without my loved one asking
9. Doing the washing up
10. Helping them bring in the shopping
11. Leaving them the last snack
12. Offering to drive them places
13. Taking out the bins
14. Sending good morning texts
15. Buying them small silly things that remind you of them
16. Making the bed
17. Writing letters or cards
18. Sending flowers
19. Planning spontaneous date nights/days out
20. Trying really hard with their family
21. Taking the time to get to know their friends
22. Letting them decide what to watch on Netflix
23. Completing DIY tasks for them
24. Sticking up for them even if they’re in the wrong
25. Giving massages
26. Getting rid of spiders and bugs
27. Pampering them after a long day at work
28. Fixing appliances
29. Sending video messages
30. Paying for their beauty maintenance (e.g. nails, trim, etc.)