Well, friends, it’s that time of year again. Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and that means every store is filling up with pink and red displays full of candy and stuffed animals. Bouquets and heart-shaped jewelry are gracing both online and print ads. Stop and think for a moment, though. Are those really things that you or your girlfriend would want?
Teddy bears, chocolates, jewelry, and flowers are all the “traditional” gifts that women receive on Valentine’s Day. However, I would say there are no “traditional” Valentine’s Day gifts for men. Gifts for a male significant other tend to be personalized according to his interests, such as sports or movie memorabilia, or they serve some kind of function, such as a watch or pair of shoes. Why is it that women’s gifts are so generalized? Women are just as unique and complicated as men. If most men don’t receive similar gifts, why do most women?
That is the face of someone who doesn’t have room in her house for a giant stuffed animal.
I took a look at the Valentine’s gift sections on Kohls’s website. In the “Gift Ideas for Men” section, you can find various types of shoes, shaving supplies, massagers, activity trackers, watches, sports gear, luggage, wallets, movie related items, and, oddly enough, very expensive electric toothbrushes. The “Gift Ideas for Women” section is a different story. Whereas the men’s section had options at the top to separate items by price, the women’s section has one price sorting button (items under $50) and three categories: lingerie, jewelry, and perfume. Just scrolling through the first two pages of the women’s section gives you a pretty good idea of what’s considered a good gift for a woman. There’s lingerie, makeup, a few massage tools, and jewelry, jewelry, and more jewelry. The end result here is that men’s gifts focus on utility, while women’s focus on appearance. Walmart actually does a better job of providing a variety of gift categories for both men and women, including tech and fitness gifts.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of women who would LOVE to get a giant teddy bear or a beautiful pair of earrings for Valentine’s Day. I myself wouldn’t mind a box of dark chocolate. The problem is that such things are used as default gifts, and the gift giver doesn’t seem to put much effort into their choice. Would any girl appreciate flowers or candy? Probably, but I’d bet she’d appreciate a book by her favorite author or a nice pair of headphones even more. If you really want to stick with something traditional, like food, get her favorite snack or drink instead of just picking up a heart-shaped box of Hershey’s. Valentine’s Day is the time to show your SO how much you care about them, and sometimes a “traditional” gift can make it seem like you only thought to buy a Valentine’s gift because you saw the display.
According to Forbes, 54.8% of Americans celebrated Valentine’s Day in 2016.
Gift givers can benefit from this change, too. According to Forbes, men spent an average of $133.61 on Valentine’s presents in 2016, while women spent only $62.14. Although this information doesn’t take into account relationships other than those that involve one man and one woman, it’s clear that buying gifts for a woman is much pricier than buying gifts for a man. When the typical gift for a woman includes gemstones or precious metals, it’s no wonder!
February 14th is a day of love, not material things. Instead of giving in to the commercial expectations of the holiday, think about the things that your SO could use or would really enjoy. I promise that it’ll make all the difference.