Valentine's Day has become the most significant Western holiday for Chinese people, a research firm said in a survey.

United Kingdom-based Mintel Group Ltd said that 42 percent of respondents to its survey bought food as a gift for Valentine's Day last year.

Chinese consumers are increasingly celebrating some foreign festivals, according to the survey, which was carried out in September 2014. The survey was conducted in four first-tier cities, six second-tier cities and three third-tier cities. It involved 3,000 Internet users aged from 20 to 49.