It happens every February. You’re staring at a half-blank card, pen hovering over the paper, and suddenly your brain short-circuits. Is it Valentine’s? Valentines? Or just plain Valentine? Honestly, figuring out how do you spell valentine day shouldn't feel like a high-stakes spelling bee, but the English language loves to make things difficult. You've probably seen it written five different ways on store windows and Instagram captions. Most of them are actually wrong.
Let's get the big one out of the way immediately. The correct, grammatically standard way to write it is Valentine’s Day. Note that apostrophe. It’s sitting there between the "e" and the "s" for a very specific reason: possession. This isn't just a day about various "valentines" (the cards or the people); it is technically the feast day belonging to Saint Valentine.
Why the Apostrophe Matters So Much
Language evolves, sure. But in formal writing and if you want to pass a basic spellcheck, that little floating comma is your best friend. Saint Valentine was a real person—well, actually, he might have been two or three different people depending on which hagiography you trust. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the holiday likely originates from a Roman priest or a bishop who was martyred around 270 CE. Because the day honors a specific individual, it "belongs" to him in a linguistic sense.
💡 You might also like: Understanding the Crime Map of NYC: What the Data Actually Tells You Before You Move or Visit
If you write "Valentines Day" without the apostrophe, you're technically saying the day is made up of multiple people named Valentine. It sounds the same when you say it out loud, which is why we get so confused. People are lazy with punctuation. We see "V-Day" or "Valentines" on cheap decorations and assume that’s the gold standard. It isn't. If you’re typing an email to your boss or writing a heartfelt letter to a partner who happens to be an English teacher, keep that apostrophe-S combo locked in.
Common Spelling Mistakes and Where They Come From
You’ll see "Valintine" or "Balentine" more often than you’d think. "Valintine" usually happens because of how we mumble the middle vowel. In linguistics, we call that a schwa—an unstressed vowel sound that sounds like a tiny "uh." When you say "Valentine" quickly, that "e" in the middle disappears. It feels like an "i."
Then there’s the "s" at the end. Some people think the "s" is optional. It’s not. Writing "Valentine Day" sounds like you're using it as an adjective, which some style guides might tolerate in a pinch, but it lacks the historical weight of the possessive form. Think of it like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. We don’t say "Mother Day." That would be weird.
The Plural vs. Possessive Trap
- Valentine’s Day: The holiday itself. (Correct)
- Valentines: Multiple cards or multiple people you’re dating. "I handed out twenty valentines." (Correct)
- Valentine: A single person or card. "Will you be my valentine?" (Correct)
- Valentines' Day: A day belonging to multiple Valentines. (Wrong, unless you’re celebrating a group of guys named Valentine).
The Saint Valentine Mystery
Trying to pin down how do you spell valentine day becomes even more interesting when you look at the guy it's named after. The Catholic Church actually removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 because so little was known about him. There’s a story about a Valentine who signed a letter "From your Valentine" to his jailer's daughter. Is it true? Probably not. It’s likely a legend added centuries later to make the holiday more romantic.
The spelling hasn't really changed much since Middle English, but the meaning has shifted. In the time of Geoffrey Chaucer, who is often credited with linking the day to romantic love in his poem Parliament of Fowls, the spelling was often "Volantyn" or "Valentyne." We’ve streamlined it since then. But even Chaucer struggled with consistency—spelling was a bit of a free-for-all back in the 14th century.
Real-World Usage: Don’t Overthink It
If you’re texting your spouse, honestly, they probably won't care if you miss the apostrophe. But if you’re a brand manager or a writer, getting it wrong looks sloppy. AP Style and Chicago Manual of Style both insist on Valentine’s Day.
There is one exception: "Galentine’s Day." This fictional holiday, popularized by the show Parks and Recreation, follows the same rule. It’s a day for your "gals," so it takes the possessive apostrophe too. If you can spell one, you can spell the other.
Why Do We Get It Wrong?
It’s mostly visual. We are bombarded with marketing. When a graphic designer is making a logo, an apostrophe can sometimes look like a "stray mark" or mess up the kerning (the space between letters). To make things look "cleaner," brands often strip away punctuation. This creates a feedback loop where we see the "incorrect" version so often that the "correct" version starts to look wrong.
✨ Don't miss: Why Your Scandinavian Design Dining Room Table Is Probably Not Authentic (and How to Fix It)
Also, autocorrect is a bit of a traitor. Sometimes it suggests "Valentines" because it sees you're talking about a holiday and assumes you're using the plural. Don't trust the machine. Trust the grammar.
How to Remember for Next Time
Think of the "s" as a little hook that holds the "Day" to the "Valentine." Without that apostrophe hook, the "s" is just hanging out there for no reason.
If you’re still struggling with how do you spell valentine day, just remember this: it belongs to the Saint. If it belongs to him, it needs that apostrophe.
Quick Checklist for Your Cards:
- Check the "V" is capitalized. It’s a proper noun.
- Make sure the "e" is in the middle (Val-en-tine).
- Add the apostrophe before the "s."
- Capitalize the "D" in Day if you’re referring to the specific holiday.
Beyond the Spelling: Practical Tips
Now that you know how to write it, make sure you don't ruin the gesture with a bad card. If you're writing a long note, keep the tone consistent. If you’ve gone through the effort of spelling the holiday correctly, don't use "u" instead of "you."
When you’re buying a gift, remember that the "Valentine" is the person. So, you’re buying a "Valentine’s Day gift" for your "Valentine." See how that works? One is the day, one is the person.
The next time you’re typing it out, just slow down. Most spelling errors happen because we’re in a rush to get to the chocolate. Whether you’re celebrating with a partner, friends, or just treating yourself to a steak dinner, keep the apostrophe where it belongs. It’s a small detail, but it’s the difference between looking like a pro and looking like you skipped third grade.
To ensure your writing is always on point, try these steps:
- Set your digital dictionary to "English (US)" or "English (UK)"—both use the apostrophe for this holiday.
- Double-check your social media hashtags; #ValentinesDay is more common than #ValentineDay, and for good reason.
- If you're designing something, use a font that makes the apostrophe look intentional and elegant rather than an afterthought.
Focus on the "e-n-t-i-n-e" sequence. It’s the most common place for typos. Once you master that, the rest is just about putting the punctuation in its place.