Ah, Valentine’s Day! It’s supposed to be the most romantic day of the year. And for many people, it potentially is. However, it would be naive to think that everyone feels happiness, love, and passion on February 14. Far from it! Rejection is something that doesn’t take any time off, and it can sting even more than usual when it happens on this day. Nor do all your dreams come true when you like someone very much.

Bored Panda is featuring some of the most hilarious and tragic Valentine’s Day fails that have ever happened to anyone. These pics might not make your heart skip a beat, but they’ll likely hit you right in your meow-meow. Scroll down for a good dose of laughter through tears, a bit of secondhand sadness, and a reminder that even the best-laid plans can go awry.

#1 The Ice Cream Cake I Ordered For Valentine’s Day Said “I Love You” But Some Of The Letters Fell Off During Transit

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#2 Valentine’s Rejection

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#3 Valentine's Day Fail

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The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that American consumers are likely to spend a record-breaking amount of money this Valentine’s Day.

The NRF’s annual survey found that spending should reach $27.5 billion in 2025, even higher than the record $27.4 billion set back in 2020.

#4 This Krispy Kreme Valentine's Day Donut

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#5 She Left Me For Another Woman On Valentines Day

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#6 It’s Funny For You But No For Us That’s Got Reorganize This

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It’s estimated that the average American will spend $188.81 on Valentine's Day, up slightly from the $185.81 spent in 2024. Valentine’s Day is a bit more popular this year than last.

The NRF states that 56% of American consumers plan to celebrate it this year, compared to 53% in 2024. More men said they intend to celebrate the holiday this year: 55% in 2025 vs 51% in 2024.

#7 Sounds Like Jodee Should Get A New Valentine. Maybe Someone Who Doesn’t Cheat And Can Spell Slept

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#8 Welp, Just Realized I Bought A Lesbian Valentines Card For My Wife (I'm A Man)

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#9 It Was You All Along

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This year, the most popular gift categories include candy (56% of respondents plan to buy some), flowers (40%), greeting cards (also 40%), an evening out (35%), and jewelry (22%).

That should amount to around $6.5 billion spent on jewelry, $5.4 billion on an evening out, $2.9 billion on flowers, $2.5 billion on candy, and $1.4 billion on greeting cards.

#10 There Was An Attempt To Make My Crush My Valentine

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#11 Blursed Valentine's Day

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#12 Happy Valentine

My girlfriend left a gift in the car for me yesterday to find this morning when I went to work, but instead, I found a smashed window.

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Over a third (38%) of Valentine’s shopping happens online, 34% happens at department stores, 29% at discount stores, and 18% at specialty shops and florists.

Treating your significant other on Valentine’s Day is, naturally, what most consumers plan to do. However, nearly a third (32%) of Americans also plan to buy gifts for their friends.

Meanwhile, a whopping 19% also have plans to purchase gifts for their colleagues. And 32% also plan to treat their pets to something special on February 14.

#13 Valentine’s Day Rose Expectations. This Bouquet Feels More Like A Threat Or A Warning Than A Sweet Gesture. There Goes $110 Down The Drain

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#14 My Pup Decided To Help Me Get Extra Good Looking For My Wife For Valentine's Day

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#15 I Hope He Secretly Has Something Planned

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“Whether they are celebrating a significant other or someone else in their lives, Valentine’s Day is meaningful for many people. Consumers are looking for special ways to treat their loved ones and can expect retailers to provide the best gift options and deals,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights.

#16 Found The Day After Valentine's Day

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#17 I Levo This Girl So Much

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#18 An Attempt To Make A Romantic Valentines' Dinner

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Meanwhile, Phil Rist, Prosper Insights & Analytics Executive Vice President of Strategy, had this to say: “Consumers plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day through a variety of ways to show appreciation and love for the many different people around them. Purchasing gifts for those outside of significant others or family members continues to rise in popularity and reflects consumers’ growing interest in celebrating all the meaningful relationships in their lives.”

#19 Valentines Pizza

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#20 My Kid Got This In A Valentine's Day Goodie Bag At School. It's A Crayon

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#21 I Sculpted This Weird And Obese Giraffe For Valentines Day

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Younger generations plan to spend a lot more money on Valentine’s Day than older ones. Statista reports that in 2025, Americans from Generation Z are spending an average of $235 on February 14-related gifts and services. In second place are millennials who are spending roughly $176. Meanwhile, Generation X is spending just $95 while baby boomers are prepared to shell out an average of $53.

This makes sense the more you think about it. On the one hand, younger people are either still looking for love or they’re freshly in new relationships, so they want to leave a good impression with their gifts. On the other hand, members of older generations might increasingly value gifts that don’t necessarily require spending much money.

#22 Went To Panda Express With My Girlfriend For Valentine's Day

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#23 So, I Got My Wife A Balloon For Valentine's Day

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#24 This Is Sad

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You don’t necessarily have to break the bank to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style. If you’re on a tight budget, you can surprise your partner with a handmade gift, a home-cooked meal, an awesomely romantic date, a song you’ve written for them, a painting you made, etc.

The sky and your imagination are the limit! What truly matters is that you give your partner the attention they deserve and find small ways to do something truly special for them. It’s not the price tag of a luxury gift that makes someone feel seen, loved, and understood. Your effort, on the other hand, is priceless!

#25 This Is How Men Will Embarrass You

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#26 Bought A Single $4 Rose To Brighten Up My Desk For Valentine's Day, And Tried To Remove The Inexplicable Tag

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#27 That's Some Fail

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Have you ever had any Valentine’s Day fails of this caliber? How do you plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, dear Pandas? Do you have any romantic or wholesome traditions with your partner?

Do you enjoy the holiday? Do you find it a bit cheesy and celebrate it ironically? Or do you try to find ways to be romantic throughout the year, whether or not it’s February 14? We’d love to hear all about your plans, expectations, and past rejections, so if you’ve got a moment, feel free to share yours in the comments!

#28 What I Paid For vs. What They Delivered To My Wife For Valentines

All she wanted were some flowers. A $50 arrangement with an additional surprise $30 service fee... What a scam. They wouldn't give me a refund unless I drove to the city she works in to return them.

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#29 Valentine's Pastry At My Local Coffee Shop

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#30 Sad Valentine’s Day Cake

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#31 Matching With Someone On Valentine's Day

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#32 Meanwhile, The Summertime Humidity Here In Australia Claimed A Victim: My Mum’s Valentine’s Day Card She Got This Year

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#33 Sorry My Friend Made This Ad, Nobody At The Company Knew What It Meant LOL

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#34 To Make An Inspirational Quote For Valentine’s Day

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#35 This Heart Shaped Pizza Crust Again Highlights My Amazing Cooking Abilities

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#36 Men Will Post Everything Except The Girl They're With

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#37 Life Really Hates You

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#38 Flowers I Ordered For Valentines. Never Buy From 1800flowers Learned My Lesson After Reading How Much Of A Scammer They Are

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#39 The Valentine's Day Brownies I Bought Expire Before Valentine's Day

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#40 I Printed Out Photos Of My And My Boyfriend For Valentine's. The Machine Proceeded To Print Me A Picture Of Mike Tyson

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#41 Squirrels Infiltrated My Room And Stole My Valentines Chocolate While I Was Asleep

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#42 Tried To Make A Cheeseboard For My Boyfriend For Valentine's Day With Zero Experience

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#43 You Know It's Valentines Day When All The Ladies Razors Are Sold Out

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#44 My Friend Owns A Florist Shop And She Posted Her And Her Employee's Hand From The Week Of Valentine's Day

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#45 Happy Valentine’s Day From My Beefy Fingers To Yours

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#46 To Roast Someone On Valentine's Day

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#47 My Son Didn’t Approve Of The Class Valentines Cards I Picked

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#48 Broke Up On Valentine's Day But The Outcome Will Shock You

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#49 When Valentine’s Day Comes Around

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#50 Kids Valentine Pops Claimed To Have 5 Fun Flavors. Unfortunately There Were Only 3 Mediocre Flavors

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#51 9 Of 15 Roses In My Valentine’s Day Bouquet Had Broken Stems. The Packaging Hid The Damage Until They Were Unwrapped At Home And They Had All Clearly Been Broken For More Than A Day

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#52 Quite Possibly The Worst Looking Valentines Cake I’ve Ever Made. Looks Like A Three Toddlers Got Together With Three Chimpanzees To Decorate It

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#53 We Were Supposed To Be Having Lunch At A Fancy Restaurant Next To The Napa River. Minutes Before We Left I Fell And We Are Now Eating A Chicken Sandwich And Fruit Cup From The Hospital Cafeteria While We Wait To Know If It's A Sprained Ankle Or A Broken Ankle

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#54 Third Year In A Row Valentine's Day Does Not Go Well For Me. Just Hours Before My Valentine's Date I Started Feeling Really Bad, So I Took A Covid/Flu Test

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#55 I Invited Friends And Family To A Art & Spirits (Drinking) Get Together At Home, I Was Planning On Painting Valentine's Day-Themed Pictures But Nobody Showed

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#56 My Mom Wrote On My Dads Red Valentines Card Envelope With Red Pen

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#57 Found On The Road. I Guess It Didn’t Go As Planned

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#58 Part Of My Wife's Valentine's Gift. Not The Most Egregious, But It Definitely Looks Worse Than What I Ordered

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#59 Oh Wow, Thanks For Noticing

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#60 Coworkers Make Each Other Valentines And I’m The Literally The Only One In My 12 Person Office That Didn’t Have One Made For Them. Some People Even Have Multiple… Awkward

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#61 Ordered Pizzas For Valentines Day With My Boyfriend And They Were Delivered Like This

The driver must've crashed and rolled their car like 40 times and still said "well I've got pizzas to deliver on we go" or someone got pissed that they work a job and was scheduled on valentines and just decided to ruin our day. valentines grinch or accident, I'm upset.

Good news though, we called the company & showed them these photos and they offered to send us new pizzas for free so our day isn't ruined. I'm putting these in the fridge for when I feel like a depression meal.

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#62 Linkedin Husband Forgets Valentine’s Day

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#63 I Can't Spend The Day With My Girlfriend Or Have A Valentines Dinner But At Least I Can Wear A Pink Shirt

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#64 Casually Cooking Valentine's Day Dinner

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#65 While Snuffing Out The Last Candle I Bumped It And Splattered Hot Wax Everywhere. Happy Valentines Day, Honey?

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#66 A Valentine’s Day Decoration Dyed My Hands Pink. It’s Much More Vibrant In Person - Looks Like I Drew On Myself With A Highlighter

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#67 Valentine Pie Fail

I spent hours today, working hard to make my other half apple pie with hand-cut hearts for the top crust. I admired her beauty as I slid it into the oven.

Then my hand touched the hot rack, I overrated, and flipped the pie onto the oven door. I nearly cried scooping up what I could salvage.

I so wanted it to be a show stopper, but on the bright side, my husband ate it just the same and said it tasted amazing.

Haha Happy Valentines Day everyone.

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#68 Happy Valentines. Here Are Some Moldy Flowers I Saw At Walmart

Image credits: Carehound