Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and Frugal Dad has posted a terrific infographic examining the spending habits and various traditions around this romantic holiday. Some of these traditions are fascinating. On Valentine’s Day in Japan, women give chocolates to men, who return the favor a month later, on March 14. On that date, men are expected to respond with gifts worth double or triple the value of those Valentine’s Day chocolates.

The infographic also reveals that U.S. consumer spending on Valentine’s Day reached an amazing $15.7 billion last year – almost three times as much as we spend on recorded music in a year, and enough to buy a diamond necklace for every one of the 63 million married women in America.

Valentine's Spending

The Frugal Dad infographic also cites a few great benefits of giving gifts to the one you love: It’s said to reduce stress, improve heart health, and help us cope with – and heal from – illness.

How do you plan to spend Valentine’s Day? Do you think the cost of a Valentine’s Day gift is important?