Correct Spelling: Valentine's Day
The standard and widely accepted spelling is Valentine's Day, with an apostrophe before the s. This form indicates possession, referring to the day of Saint Valentine. Major style guides and dictionaries recognize this as the correct form.
Common Misspellings and Variations
People often search for "Valentine day" without an apostrophe or "Valentines Day" with the apostrophe after the s. While these variations appear frequently online, they are considered incorrect by most style guides. The plural "Valentines" without an apostrophe refers to the cards or gifts themselves, not the holiday.
Why the Apostrophe Matters
The apostrophe in Valentine's Day shows the day belongs to Saint Valentine. Omitting it changes the meaning or creates a grammatical error. For more details on apostrophe usage, you can refer to the Purdue OWL guide at Purdue OWL.
