Cornwall Ditches Romance for Risqué: The Rise of Rude Valentine’s Cards

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Cornwall is embracing a cheekier way to say ‘I love you.’ New research from greetings card marketplace thortful has revealed that Cornish shoppers are among those leading the shift away from traditional romance, favouring funny and risqué Valentine’s Day cards over sentimental designs.

Cornwall Among the Rudest Regions for Valentine’s Cards

The data shows that in Cornwall:

• 15% of Valentine’s cards sold were rude – the highest percentage in the UK, alongside County Durham, Wiltshire, and Dorset.
• 37% were funny, suggesting humour is now the preferred way to show affection.
• Only 2% of cards were ‘pretty’ designs, making them the least popular choice.

This puts Cornwall firmly among the regions rejecting traditional romantic gestures in favour of cards that spark laughter – or even a bit of mischief.

Romance Still Has a Place – But It’s in the Minority

While humour and cheeky messages dominate, some Cornish romantics are still sticking with classic love-themed cards. 31% of sales in the county were love cards, showing that heartfelt messages haven’t disappeared completely. However, with pretty and cute designs making up just a fraction of total sales, it’s clear that the tide is turning.

Cornwall’s Valentine’s Card Sales Lag Behind the Rest of the UK

Despite this shift towards humour, Cornwall has seen only a 4% increase in Valentine’s Day card sales since 2022, one of the lowest growth rates in the UK. By contrast, Manchester tops the list with an 86% surge, followed by Liverpool (50%), Bristol (40%), and Glasgow (37%).

This suggests that while Cornwall is embracing the trend for funny and rude cards, overall enthusiasm for Valentine’s Day might not be as strong as in other parts of the country.

Why Are Cornish Shoppers Going for Rude and Funny Cards?

Pip Heywood, Managing Director at thortful, believes the rise of humorous and risqué cards is down to changing cultural norms and a desire for personal connection.

“The rise of ruder or funnier Valentine’s Day cards is a reflection of changing cultural norms, the desire for intimacy in the sense of showing the receiver how well you know them and their sense of humour. As long as the tone matches the nature of the relationship between the sender and receiver, we’re finding people are more than willing to embrace this modern twist.”

How to Choose the Right Card for Your Valentine

For those still deciding how to mark the occasion, thortful has shared three key tips:

1. Know your partner’s love language – If they prefer humour over grand romantic gestures, a funny or rude card might be the perfect fit.
2. Think about their interests – From film quotes to inside jokes, a card that reflects their personality will make it more meaningful.
3. Personalise it – A unique design is great, but adding a heartfelt message inside makes it even better.

For more tips on picking the perfect Valentine’s Day card, visit thortful’s blog.

Cornwall’s Valentine’s Day Shift – A Sign of the Times?

The data suggests that while Cornwall may not be the UK’s most romantic region, it is one of the cheekiest. Whether this trend continues in the coming years remains to be seen, but for now, it looks like laughter is the new language of love in the Duchy.