Love hurts... the pocket: Costs of celebrating St Valentine's Day soar

A bunch of flowers now costs 12.1% more than it did five years ago.

Love may be in the air, but celebrating it on St Valentine’s Day has become a whole lot more expensive in the last few years, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has revealed.

Meals in restaurants, cinema trips, and even flowers, are pricier than they used to be, according to its analysis based on its consumer price index basket of goods, which measures inflation in Ireland.

“If you are looking to make a romantic gesture tomorrow, it will be more expensive this year than it was five years ago,” the CSO said.

A bottle of wine has only risen slightly in this time, up 0.9% since February 2020, and a box of chocolates is up 1.6%, a traditional gift of a bunch of flowers now costs 12.1% more than it did five years ago.

Treating someone to a night out is going to set someone back significantly more too, whether it be a meal, a theatre trip or a cinema date.

Since February 2020, the cost of eating in a restaurant has risen by 30.7%.

A trip to the cinema is up 3.1%, while attending a theatre performance has risen by 14.6%.

Meanwhile, supermarkets have been commissioning polls to gauge the public’s mood ahead of St Valentine’s Day, with one for SuperValu suggesting half of people would consider accepting a date if asked in a supermarket.

Separately, a poll of 1,000 adults for Lidl found vanilla was the “most appealing scent” among the Irish public, with nearly one-third (31%) saying it appealed to their romantic side.

When it comes to St Valentine’s Day plans, 29% of people said their ideal date was a cosy evening in.

Friday will also see a special speed-dating event at the Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Dublin, as it hosts its “lonely hearts club adoption event”.

These dogs “have lots of love to offer, if only they are given the chance”, it said.