Tomorrow is the day people are most likely to break up with their partner

* Red Tuesday, which falls on the Tuesday before Valentine’s Day, is the most popular day of the year for breakups.

* 31% of people break up to avoid the pressure of Valentine’s Day expectations.

* Of the 36% of people who ended a relationship in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, men are more likely to do so on Red Tuesday (62%) compared to women (38%), with millennials (ages 28-43) being the most likely to call it quits (40%).

* Study conducted byIllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site.

If you’re in a shaky relationship, tomorrow might not be your lucky day. The Tuesday before Valentine’s Day – dubbed Red Tuesday – is the most popular day of the year for breakups, and it has become a notorious time for couples deciding to call it quits.

A recent poll conducted by the UK’s largest extramarital dating site, IllicitEncounters.com surveyed 1,200 people and found that 36% of respondents have ended a relationship in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day – of those, 66% broke up with their partner on Red Tuesday.

The reasons vary, but the most common one – cited by 31% of participants – is wanting to avoid the pressure of Valentine’s Day expectations. For many, the thought of planning a romantic evening or buying a meaningful gift for a partner they no longer see a future with is enough to push them to end things beforehand. 

Meanwhile, 27% admitted they wanted to avoid the guilt of faking affection on the most romantic day of the year.

As for how people chose to deliver the bad news, 33% preferred to break up over the phone, while 29% opted for a text message. Surprisingly, only 26% ended things face-to-face, and a small percentage turned to social media (7%) or email (4%) to cut ties. A cold-hearted 1% admitted to ghosting their partner entirely.

Interestingly, the survey also revealed that 75% of people having an affair still choose to spend Valentine’s Day with their primary partner. However, 18% said they will prioritise spending time with their lover over their spouse, while 7% plan to skip celebrating altogether.

The poll found that men are more likely to initiate Red Tuesday breakups, accounting for 62% of them, while women make up 38%. 

When it comes to age groups, Millennials (ages 28-43) are the most likely to call it quits on this day, representing 40% of breakups, followed by Gen Z (18-27) at 34%. Gen X (44-59) accounts for 18%, and Baby Boomers (60-78) make up just 8% of those ending relationships on Red Tuesday.

Jessica Leoni, a sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com which conducted the poll explains the trend, “Red Tuesday breakups happen because people don’t want to fake their feelings on Valentine’s Day. Rather than go through the motions of romance, they’d prefer to be honest – even if it means heartbreak. 

It’s also a time when people reflect on their relationship and decide if they truly see a future together. Some feel trapped by Valentine’s Day and the expectations that come with it, and rather than putting in effort for a relationship they don’t see lasting, they cut ties instead. 

Ultimately, Red Tuesday has become a day of reckoning for many couples, and it’s no surprise that we see a massive spike in breakups right before Valentine’s Day.”