Got an idea for a holiday? Send it to us

Submit Now

Couple Appreciation Day – May 1, 2024

Couple Appreciation Day is celebrated on May 1. Whether you’ve just started dating or you’ve been married for many years, it’s important to appreciate your partner now and then. Celebrating the milestones you’ve passed and looking to more happy years in the future helps keep the romance alive. Even the smallest of gestures can make an impact. Do the chores, so your partner can relax, or prepare a nice meal when they come home exhausted from work. Romance doesn’t have to be elaborate and over the top. Unless of course, that’s what a couple is into.

History of Couple Appreciation Day

Courtship has changed a lot over the years. Today if you want to ask someone out, you can just use an app and get a response within minutes. You can boldly approach your crush in person or via social media and get the ball rolling. In the Shakespearean age of the 1500s, becoming a couple was a very formal and lengthy affair. Prospective lovers wrote flowery poems to each other. Men sometimes engaged in duels to the death to protect their lovers’ honor or to challenge other suitors. They were expected to be bold and passionate, while women were expected to be docile and reserved. Men were also expected to take the lead in pursuing a partner.

In the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution brought with it a touch of modernity. Though the social norms were quite rigid compared to what we have now, couples were less formal than in years before. Marriage was more about affection than fulfilling social expectations. Love and compatibility slowly became more important than parental approval. Romance novels written by authors like Jane Austen fuelled these notions. People began traveling the world looking for their soulmate, not just settling for someone from the same small town.

By the 20th century, almost all the old norms around dating had fallen away. The world was developing at a rapid pace on a social, economic, and political scale. Uncertainty about the future made people, especially young people, much more casual about relationships. One thing that has remained constant throughout history, is the role of couple appreciation. Gifts, kind words, and gestures big and small, have always been a part of courtship. That’s what Couple Appreciation Day is all about. Remind your partner that they hold a special place in your heart. Spend that time to make sure the flame is alive, not only on Couples Appreciation Day.

Couple Appreciation Day timeline

1600s
The Lonely Hearts

The advent of print media sees a rise in people placing ‘lonely hearts’ sections in newspapers.

1800s
Husband Hunters

During the 1800s women set out on ships sailing to British India in search of husbands.

1840
Sending Love Letters

Thanks to reforms in the postal service, it becomes much easier for courtship to take place via letters and mail correspondence.

1969
Free Love Movement

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s America experiences a surge of sexual and romantic liberation among its youth, breaking down old rules of courtship.

2000
Modern Courtship

Author of the book “Boy meets girl,” Joshua Harris, defines courtship as dating with a purpose.

Couple Appreciation Day FAQs

What do couples celebrate?

Couples celebrate many relationship milestones, like living together, their first date, or meeting each other’s parents.

What Is a romantic couple quote?

“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.”

What makes a happy couple?

A happy couple practices honesty and good communication, and takes each other’s needs seriously.

Couple Appreciation Day Activities

  1. Do something special

    You can take them out on a date or watch their favorite movie together while snuggling on the couch. Take them somewhere they’ve always wanted to go. You know your partner best. All that matters is that they feel loved and appreciated.

  2. Tell them how much you care

    Sometimes we take our relationships for granted. We assume that our partners know how much they mean to us. But it never hurts to verbalize your feelings. Don’t be afraid to get mushy today and every day!

  3. Share your goals for the future

    A great way to appreciate your partner is by sharing your goals and dreams for the future and how they fit into them. You get to communicate – always a brilliant idea. This way you can plan your future together.

5 Heartwarming Facts About Couples

  1. Love Is a drug

    Couples in love release adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin, which gives them a healthy, natural high.

  2. Couples are healthier

    Married couples are 12% less likely to experience cardiovascular disease compared to single and divorced people.

  3. Couples have synchronized heartbeats

    Scientists at the University of California observed that couples’ heartbeats synchronized with each other after prolonged eye contact.

  4. Long distances make stronger relationships

    Long-distance relationships are just as successful as conventional ones, and they’re more effective at building satisfaction and trust between partners.

  5. Couples heal faster

    In a study by Ohio State University, researchers noted that couples with strong bonds healed from blister wounds twice as fast.

Why We Love Couple Appreciation Day

  1. Everyone likes to feel appreciated

    It feels nice to be appreciated. It feels even better when it's coming from a partner who sticks with you despite your flaws. Relationships take work on both sides. It’s only fitting that we should recognize and appreciate that effort.

  2. It reignites romance

    When you’ve been together for a while, it's easy to get comfortable and slide into a routine. Couple Appreciation Day helps reignite that spark of romance that made the early days of the relationship such a heady rush.

  3. It’s an excuse for some pampering

    Let’s face it, one of the main reasons why we love Couples Appreciation Day is because it's an excuse for us to spoil our partners and be spoiled in return. And there’s nothing wrong with admitting that. We could all use some T.L.C. now and then.

Couple Appreciation Day dates

YearDateDay
2024May 1Wednesday
2025May 1Thursday
2026May 1Friday
2027May 1Saturday
2028May 1Monday
Hurricane Preparedness Week
National Physical Education and Sport Week
Aces Day
Agriculture and Labor Day
Beltane
Blessing Day
Calan Mai
Couple Appreciation Day
CSS Reboot Day
Executive Coaching Day
Frequent Flyer Day
Global Love Day
Great American Grump Out
International Doodle Dog Day
International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 Day
Labor Day Philippines
Learn to Ride a Bike Day
Lei Day
Marshall Islands Constitution Day
May Day
Mother Goose Day
National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day
National Black Barber Shop Appreciation Day
National Chocolate Parfait Day
National Infertility Survival Day
National Interpreter Appreciation Day
National Loyalty Day
National Mantra Day
National Purebred Dog Day
National Rotate Your Beer Day
National Skilled Trades Day
National Skilled Trades Day
New Homeowners Day
Phone in Sick Day
Save The Rhino Day
School Principals' Day
Silver Star Banner Day
Therapeutic Massage Awareness Day
Worthy Wage Day
ALS Awareness Month
American Cheese Month
American Wetlands Month
Anxiety Awareness Month
Arthritis Awareness Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Awareness of Medical Orphans Month
Be Kind to Animals Month
Bealtaine Festival
Better Sleep Month
Better Speech and Hearing Month
Bladder Cancer Awareness Month
Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
Brain Cancer Awareness Month
Building Safety Month
Celiac Awareness Month
Chip Your Pet Month
Chronic Fatigue Awareness Month
Clean Air Month
Community Action Month
Correct Posture Month
Creative Beginnings Month
Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
Date Your Mate Month
Deck Safety Month
EDS Awareness Month
Electromagnetic Radiation Awareness Month
Family Wellness Month
Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month
Food Allergy Action Month
Fungal Infection Awareness Month
Gardening for Wildlife Month
Get Caught Reading Month
Gifts From The Garden Month
Global Employee Health and Fitness Month
Global Youth Traffic Safety Month
Haitian Heritage Month
Heal the Children Month
Healthy Vision Month
Hepatitis Awareness Month
Homeschool Awareness Month
Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
Indian Heritage Month
Internal Audit Awareness Month
International Business Image Improvement Month
International Civility Awareness Month
International Drum Month
International Respect for Chickens Month
International Victorious Woman Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Labor History Month
Latino Books Month
Leaders of Tomorrow Month
Lettuce Month
Local and Community History Month
Lung Health Awareness Month
Lupus Awareness Month
Make May Purple /Action On Stroke Month
Maternal Mental Health Month
May Measurement Month
MCS Awareness Month
Meditation Month
Mediterranean Diet Month
Melanoma / Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
Military Appreciation Month
Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
National Asparagus Month
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
National Barbecue Month
National Bicycle Safety Month
National Blood Pressure Month
National Chocolate Custard Month
National Comfort Month
National Digestive Disease Awareness Month
National Duckling Month
fried egg on national egg month
National Egg Month
National Foster Care Month
National Hamburger Month
National Heritage Month
National Inventors Month
a nurse on National Lyme Disease Awareness Month
National Lyme Disease Awareness Month
National Moving Month
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
National Pet Month
National Photography Month
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Preservation Month
National Prom Graduation Safety Month
National Recommitment Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
National San Architect Month
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
National Share a Story Month
National Show Your Smile Month
National Sight-Saving Month
National Strawberry Month
National Teen Self-Esteem Month
National Tennis Month
National Toxic Encephalopathy and Chemical Injury Awareness Month
National Tuberous Sclerosis Awareness Month
National Vinegar Month
National Walking Month
National Youth Traffic Safety Month
Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Month
Neurofibromatosis Month
Older Americans Month
Personal History Awareness Month
Pet Sitter Safety Month
REACT Month
Responsible Animal Guardian Month
Revise Your Work Schedule Month
Small Business Month
Speech and Hearing Awareness Month
Steelmark Month
Strike Out Strokes Month
Stroke Awareness Month
Syringomyelia Awareness Month
Teen CEO Month
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
Tuberous Sclerosis Awareness Month
Ultraviolet Awareness Month
Women's Health Month
Zombie Awareness Month

Holidays Straight to Your Inbox

Every day is a holiday!
Receive fresh holidays directly to your inbox.