Valentine’s Day is a holiday of many emotions and decisions. Passion is high, whether it’s intense love or hate. Once you have acquired a valentine, there are many paths to choose from. What should you get for your date? You could go with the cliché roses and chocolates from the store, or you could spend an afternoon crafting a gift for your companion. If you go with flowers, will your date think that you didn’t put thought into the gift? If you go the handmade route, will your date think that you’re cheap? What a dilemma.
When buying a valentine, there is an easier path. The process is simple, run to the store and pick out a few things. There are the classic red roses and a big ol’ heart-shaped box of chocolates. Maybe the special someone had mentioned a specific gift they wanted. All it takes is 20 minutes but it can be quite expensive. With the commercialization of Valentine’s Day, roses and chocolates have become more expensive. In 2006, it would only cost $4.20 to buy a dozen roses. Now, the average cost is $20, but they can be as expensive as $80. Every year, more and more people celebrate the holiday. People start to expect gifts from their partners, creating a brand around the day. As the holiday becomes more and more commercialized as years pass, the prices start to stack up. Going along with this, maybe they’re expecting a big gift, so the chocolates don’t meet their expectations. Buying a gift that isn’t quite up to their standards can seem cheap. Perhaps a bought card to go along with the bouquet can seem impersonal and cause more harm than good.
On the other hand, homemade valentines seem thoughtful at first glance. Whether the message is sent by crafting a card, or paper flowers, it will come through. People notice the amount of effort it takes to make a gift personalized to them. When given a home-made gift, many don’t just see the gift. Instead, they see the time and dedication put into the gift. Handmade gifts are unique- no one will have something quite the same. Every small “imperfection” adds charm to the present. However, some people do not enjoy them. They can find them impractical and less durable. Perhaps a home-made photo album could fall apart more easily than a store-bought one.
So- which is better? I find that homemade valentines are the way to go. Looking back at memories of the holiday, it is better to remember something that lasts. Store-bought chocolates get eaten and tossed. But a homemade flower bouquet, a handwritten letter, or even a small scrapbook mean so much more. The effort put in is eternalized in the craft. Actions speak louder than words, and putting in the effort to make a gift is better than a store-bought valentine that was made in some factory. For Valentine’s Day, make your valentine feel special. All it takes is a half hour to create a priceless gift.
