From left: Anna Berglund, Hugh Hefner and Shera Bechard
Paul Buck/Landov
"I'm a romantic, and Valentine's Day is the holiday for the romantics," Hefner, 85, tells PEOPLE. "Love and attraction between the sexes makes the world go 'round. Some people think religion is the civilizing force, but I think love is the civilizing force."
Tuesdays at the Playboy Mansion are typically reserved for game nights consisting of Dominos and cards, but Hefner is making an exception this week in honor of the holiday, at the request of his girlfriends Shera Berchard and Anna Berglund.
"We're going out to dinner," he says. We're going to eat Italian. We're going to Valentino [restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif.]"
After the meal, the real fun begins. Hefner says he's most looking forward to giving his leading ladies their presents.
"I have some very nice little heart-shaped packages with some lingerie and candy and stuff like that," he says. "It's not like Christmas. It's not extremely expensive, but they're sentimental gifts."
Lacey undergarments make the perfect gifts, according to Hefner.
"My favorite thing – and the most natural thing – to give on Valentine's Day is lingerie," he says. "[I like] just any lingerie that makes a woman look beautiful and doesn't get in the way."
