Valentine's Day can trigger a break-up. [Photo: Getty]

Breaking up is hard to do, but according to dating experts, the onset of Valentine’s Day – ostensibly the “most romantic day of the year” – this Friday might be acting as a trigger.

Yes – while this time of year can be tricky enough for single people, it seems a whole lot of people could have been newly-dumped by their partners.

According to a survey by extramarital dating website Illicit Encounters, more couples break up in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day than any other time of the year.

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More than a third (37%) of survey participants said they had broken up with someone in the week before Valentine’s Day.

And there’s a term for this phenomenon, too.

Coined by Metro UK’s Ellen Scott, “Valentighting” is where your partner breaks off your relationship just before Valentine’s Day.

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The term is a blend of “Valentine’s” and “tight” – ie, when someone is too tight to spend money on their partner for Valentine’s Day (presumably because they’ve already got an inkling they want out).

Other possible justifications could include not wanting to spend a romantic day with someone they’re about to break up with.

However, rest assured commercialised romance is not dead – with some 37% of UK shoppers saying they were planning to spend money on loved ones this Valentine’s, according to a survey conducted by Retail Times.

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As for the age group most likely to be celebrating, it’s the 18-34 year olds – with 50% saying they were getting involved.

Divorce filings also have a seasonality of their own, with the first Monday back at work after the Christmas/New Year season infamously dubbed “Divorce Day”.

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