While Valentine’s day has its origins in Romanian culture, it has now become a consumer holiday, with $17.4 Billion spends for a single day. On average, men spend twice as much as women on their Valentine’s day gifts with the average cost of $160. Now, fun facts put aside, is it important for you to get your loved one a gift for Valentine’s Day or not?
Some would say no because money doesn’t buy love. Which is absolutely true. But there is much more about gifting that we are aware of. And scientists have actually proven this. Anthropologists have found out that the gift giving is actually humanity’s universal behavior. As a form of reciprocity or exchange, gift-giving is one of the processes that integrate society. The point of gift giving is actually hidden behind its shallow surface of exchanging gifts.
A well-known anthropologist Malinowski stated that reciprocity is an implicit part of gifting. The gift giving is everything else than a manifestation of modern consumerism. It’s actually a manifestation of being sociable. Sociability that is tied to establishing and re-establishing the relationships between individuals and also between groups of individuals. And those relationships are key to individuals and also for the society. The act of gift giving is actually an act of establishing a relationship where there was none before or re-establishing an existing relationship. What really circles in the act of gift giving is the relationships, not gifts itself. Gifts are the means not the goal of gift giving.
But what’s also important is that the value of the gift does not lay in its economic value, but in their symbolic value. You don’t give money, you give attention, devotion, love. So you don’t actually have to buy a gift. You can bake it, cook it, knit it or create it differently. Or you can just write a nice personal message to a blank piece of paper. Gift’s don’t necessary cost money. You don’t have to be rich to be socially rich.
Now that you know why gift giving is important, not just for Valentine’s Day, but in general, you might feel a bit under pressure. But don’t worry. It’s actually not that hard to buy the gift. Especially for your significant other.
Considering the fact that the person you are buying a gift for is one of the closest people, you won’t have too much problem figuring out what would be a great gift. Remember, there is no such thing as the perfect gift. There are great gifts and good enough gifts. And the difference is that with a great gift you show how much you know and appreciate your partner, and with the good enough gift you still show your love and attention. So basically you can’t go wrong.
Now relax and place the task of finding a gift into your mind. Don’t try to figure it out right away. Let it float there while you live your normal life. Once in a while ask yourself: Did my significant other mention anything he/she would really like to do? Maybe try a new hobby, a new restaurant, new shirt? Did she/he say she really wants something but can’t find it anywhere? Did she mention what she would like for us to do together? If nothing pops up, think broader. What kind of a person is he/she? What does he/she really likes to do? Is there something in her life that you could help he/him improve with certain product or activity?
The secret of finding the perfect gift is to pay attention. And we guarantee you that you’ll find it in few days or even hours if you focus.
