What is Romantic Fasting? Why Gen-Z is approaching Valentine's Day differently

Dramatic confessions and roses thats what Valentines Day was about But 2026 is different at least for someA new study by Indian dating app QuackQuack shows a split between how the young and the mature daters are celebrating the day of loveThe survey shows GenZ choosing Romantic Fasting while Millennials are approaching the day like a wellplanned chess matchThe study was conducted among 10853 GenZ and Millennial daters between the ages of 20 and 35 from metros suburbs and rural towns Respondents were chosen from various professional backgrounds and all of them have completed over 3 months as active online dating app usersThe apps founder and CEO Ravi Mittal commented GenZs are going in total airplane mode this Valentines Day Mostly it is to avoid the pressure of labelling an ongoing connection or going overthetop one day and not being able to follow through the rest of the year Though the young daters are serious about their matches they are still in the exploratory phase where theres no rush to define a relationship Millennials on the other hand are picking up the pace They are choosing to make an effort and seal the deal on matches they have been courting for a while Its not performative From where we are standing their effort looks really genuineGenZs Romantic FastingFor 33 per cent of daters between 20 and 26 years of age Valentines Day 2026 has turned into a nonevent These respondents disclosed that they are deliberately avoiding new matches and making plans with existing matches on and around VdayThe romantic pause is a conscious choice made to avoid making promises too soon or rushing into commitment because of the emotional high of the day The romantic fasting trend among GenZ is to say they dont need to soft launch a relationship on February 14 to validate the seriousness of it5 in 7 daters also shared that the day is filled with comparison anxiety which is never a good foundation for any relationshipNikita 25 from Delhi said I am really taking these days for selfcare and slowing down on the interaction just for these few days I dont like forced milestones Just because its VDay doesnt mean I have to turn my new match into my boyfriend Id rather it happens naturallyMillennials turning into strategic datersMillennials have suddenly gone strategic with 39 per cent of women and 21 per cent of men from Tier1 and 2 cities using the day as a compatibility testThey are looking at it as a checkpoint to assess effort emotional consistency and if they are on similar wavelengths Ashwini a 29yearold software engineer from Mumbai said My goal this Valentines Day is to check if our efforts match Like is he making plans or leaving it all on me Is he communicating well Is he too indifferent about the day Im not asking for a diamond ring here I am checking the patternOver 4364 Millennials voted a wellplanned coffee date higher than a lastminute reservation at a fancy restaurant This generation has been through it all and this year they are turning pro at reading between the linesQuiet Romance Era6 in 10 GenZ daters who are not outright declining the day are opting for a nogift and nodate policy Instead they are choosing quiet checkins with relatable memes and emojis that say I am thinking of youThis quiet romance version is more about emotional protection 26 year old Anshu commented If its real it wont need a strong hashtag to take over my heartFeelings with followupsUnlike GenZs Millennials are not fasting Instead they are busy filtering The survey data shows that almost 43 per cent of daters between 28 and 35 are making Valentines plans with matches they see as having longterm potentialTheres no more drifting Millennials are now seasoned daters who are seeking direction While the younger daters are avoiding serious talks on the day Millennials are comfortable discussing future expectations exclusivity and emotional readiness to take the next step