Valentine’s Day is traditionally a rose, teddy bear and chocolate-filled holiday, focusing on one person, and one person only: the girl. The beloved Hallmark cliché of greeting girlfriends with a gorgeous bouquet of red roses and a gigantic heart-shaped box of her favorite chocolates and a pink teddy bear will never die as the night ends with a romantic dinner…and dessert of course!
Has anyone ever asked what guys want from their Valentines? Every February, advertisements consist of the absolute perfect, shiny Valentine’s Day gifts for girlfriends. Who invented the love law that leaves boyfriends out? Girls, do you even buy your man a present? Many men are epically forgotten on this holiday…especially if they forget to bring something really thoughtful home, and then they are shunned for the rest of the day.
A few guys were eager to offer up what they want from their special someone/crush this upcoming Valentine’s Day. The most common answer is effortlessly simple! What most guys truly want is that special feeling knowing their girl appreciates them. No guy wants an extravagant present – it is not special and is really unnecessary.
So girls – making your gift personal is what he wants!…
- If your man is into sports, get two tickets to the next game so you can go together. Vinny, a junior at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, said that sports event tickets are at the top of his wish list. Your man will be excited about it and know you appreciate him and what he is interested in. Vinny also thinks that a new pair of shoes he has been wanting would be an awesome gift to get from his Valentine. Michael, a junior at Manhattanville College in New York, thinks that a new bottle of his favorite cologne is the perfect present.
Kevin, a sophomore at Northeastern University, would love his crush to cook him a homemade, romantic dinner with the menu of his choice (sticking frozen pizza in the oven does NOT count, homemade is the key word!) Kevin’s thoughts on his Valentine’s Day plans: “the thought and effort that goes into a home cooked meal, plus the fact that you get a great meal together. makes it perfect.” Cooking a dinner for your Valentine is extremely cute and your man gets to taste your delicious cooking – a perfect combination!
- Our recent guy college graduates who are already in the workforce expressed their opinions on what they would consider to be the perfect Valentine’s Day. Mike, a college alumnae from Northeastern University, says no physical gift should be given or received on Valentine’s Day – just spending special time together is enough: “No gift necessary from either party. Valentines Day is a total ‘Hallmark’ holiday. Save presents for a more important occasion. That being said, a nice dinner out or home-cooked and some quality time with each other is all I need.”
Some men simply just want the sweet stuff. When it comes down to it, Adam, a sophomore at Suffolk University, is interested in one main thing: chocolate…with a little creativity on the side. His thoughts on this Valentine’s Day: “If some girl gave me something, it would make me interested in her. Chocolate is always good…who doesn’t like chocolate? A gift shows that they care and are interested. Inside joke gifts are always good ideas too.”
- Surprise him. Again, some guys will appreciate anything their girl gives them, as long as it has that important, personal touch. Your guy may not even want a physical present, just special time to spend with his Valentine, so make it a date night. Rob, a junior at Suffolk University, stated, “I’m happy with whatever my girlfriend gets me. Surprises are always nice, but I’d much rather just spend a nice night out with her.”
- Kevin, a sophomore at Villanova in Pennsylvania, also thinks personal touch and thoughtfulness is key. For his Valentine’s Day suggestion, he thought of something unique and fun: “All my shot glasses got broken so I need some new ones. It’s easy to get creative and personalize them to say something like an inside joke (and usually costs less than $30!). Other options could be taking an afternoon to go to a favorite place or do a favorite activity as a couple. Really anything goes, just show that there’s some real thought behind what the gift is.”
Many men want some good loving! Spend a sentimental night with your man – go out for a nice dinner or cook something together, then continue onto a fun, romantic evening.
Whatever you may choose, ladies, treat your man special this Valentine’s Day – he deserves it!