"Because I want to" or "Because I have to"

We might not say it very often, but most of us love our mothers. Mother's Day then, is surely the perfect opportunity to show your feelings and appreciation. According to a new YouGov survey though, the majority of people in the UK see it as more of a hassle pushed on us by commercial entities such as card companies. It seems that the feeling of 'having to' show your love on a specific day is troublesome for a lot of us.

To a greater extent, the same can be said of Valentine's Day, when 79 percent of respondents said they felt compelled to do something through social or commercial pressure rather then because they really believe in the day as a 'proper' special occasion. Perhaps surprisingly, of all occasions featured in the survey, the opinions of men and women are actually closest when it comes to Valentine's Day - 78 percent of men and 80 percent of women said they think the day is celebrated due to outside pressures.