The true tradition of Valentine’s Day is often overshadowed by consumerism gifting, but you can make it more meaningful and sustainable. Each year people celebrate February 14 and honor their loved ones with notes and tokens of appreciation to express, or rekindle, the fire of their love. The season quickly brings to mind the most popular and traditional Valentine’s Day gift offerings of cards, chocolates, flowers, and jewelry. It’s always a special, and somewhat magical, day for celebrating love.
The Tradition of Sweets and Flowers
It is a nice gesture to surprise someone with sweets or flowers. No matter the time of year, you never need the excuse of a holiday. The gesture is a timeless one that will never go out of fashion. You could opt for making your own chocolates with a personal message on them or even make a chocolate valentine, bake heart-shaped cookies, or cake with decorations of love. If you’re creative there are a multitude of ways to make this kind of gift special. The only drawback to these types of gifts they are temporary. The memory of the gesture can fade away shortly after the candy box is empty or the flowers wilt. People do take photos, but more often they forget to. However, with all sharing on social media, there is likely to be at least one photo.
Equally, the ephemeral nature of these types of gifts can be of importance. It can help us to take note, and of making the most of every moment of our lives. Remind us to cherish all the good things we have now and not just things we want to attain in the future. With our busy lives, personalized little tokens are sometimes the hardest to do and often the most remembered. Sometimes it is the note that comes with the flowers that become the cherished sentiment. Small keepsakes help us remember the good times even when life seems harsh. There are many creative gestures that you can add to make your own gift a memorable one. The best way to truly make these ephemeral gifts more memorable is a heartfelt note of endearment.
The Tradition of Sending Notes of Love
You can use Valentine’s Day as a launchpad for an ongoing gift. A favorite of mine is to send postcards or handwritten notes of love in the mail. I also enjoy putting my own spin on everyday notes. For example, I’m a huge fan of hiding secret love notes around the house for my husband to find. Sometimes they are on post-it notes and a few times I wrote my declaration of love and gratitude on an antique Valentines I found on eBay. I love history and imagining the lives of people long past, and the mysteries of how their lives shaped future generations. It’s romantic in its own way. My husband and me both have a love for old things with a past. History.com’s article 6 Surprising Facts About St. Valentine states:
“The medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer often took liberties with history, placing his poetic characters into fictitious historical contexts that he represented as real. No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day prior to a poem Chaucer wrote around 1375. In his work “Parliament of Foules,” he links a tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s feast day–an association that didn’t exist until after his poem received widespread attention. The poem refers to February 14 as the day birds (and humans) come together to find a mate.”
Jewelry, A Traditional Valentine’s Day Gift
If writing is not something you enjoy and you have outgrown chocolates and flowers, jewelry is the perfect traditional Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetheart. Jewelry is one of the best ways to let your beloved know that you will be together in the journey of life and love. It’s all about romance; jewelry sends your message beyond Valentine’s Day. However, there can be often be social pressure to buy something that you can’t afford. And holidays can also push us to purchase gifts that do not fit the recipient’s taste or lifestyle. Here are a few tips to make sure your gift is cherished and within your budget.
You will want to purchase a piece that will last for years to come, each time she looks at it she, or he, will think of you. You will also want to look for a special jewelry piece that will look perfect on your beloved. However, there are many choices when shopping for jewelry. Below are five ideas to help you narrow down your choice and make this Valentine’s Day more memorable.
1. Celebrate Their Life
First, choose jewelry that features their birthstone, a hobby, interest or the birthstones of someone they love. They will love the jewelry and wear it often for its symbolic significance. You can also mark the birth of your relationship together by giving her the birthstone that corresponds with the month you met or married. If you are working within a budget choose semi-precious gemstones. Each month has more than one option of birthstone, you can find them by doing a search on the web. If you need some guidance take a look at the jewelry you see her wear and note what stones and colors she likes to wear best. Even if they do not wear much color there are neutral color stones that will go perfectly with their style.
2. Be Classy
Second, select a classic piece of jewelry such as a solitaire pendant, a modern cuff bracelet or stud earrings. Classic pieces will always be in fashion and spark enjoyment for many years, making them a sustainable option. They are also sustainable! Moreover, if they are of heirloom quality they can become wonderful family heirlooms that tell a romantic family story. Classic style jewelry usually features more simple settings and that makes it very versatile. Heirloom quality pieces can be worn every day, with a wide range of outfits, and can easily become a favorite piece to cherish for that very reason.
3. Add Family Tradition To Valentine’s Day
Have a family heirloom repaired, resized, or updated. Another unique idea is having an heirloom piece made featuring both of your birthstones, to be passed down to children. You can even make an heirloom out of a sentimental piece by having it framed up in a shadow box with photos of the person who originally owned it and adding an inscription, a quote, or even an old letter from them. This is a great option if the piece is too delicate to wear or cannot be repaired to wear safely.
4. Plan An Unforgettable Proposal
And the last idea to help you make this Valentine’s day unforgettable is planning a proposal. According to WeddingWire, Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days to pop the question. So, if you’re planning on proposing in the near future this is a wonderful choice.
Here is the most important and easy part, no matter what you decide on, it will be romantic! Since jewelry is purchased and worn to mark the passing of significant events or celebrate our lives and their meanings, romantic jewelry can be any piece of fine jewelry when it is given from someone special. Have a happy Valentine’s Day!
5. Gifting Vintage and Antique is Sustainable
Don’t be afraid to gift vintage or antique jewelry. Just because something is pre-owned doesn’t mean it isn’t desirable. Antique engagement rings are romantic! And you will be able to find many options that are not available in the current jewelry market, such as unique charms, lockets and unusual items like thimbles, victorian miniatures, match boxes, make-up cases, coin purses, pens, pencils, vinaigrette boxes and so much more! There is also a huge selection of vintage costume jewelry that is just as beautiful and wearable as the fine jewelry. Both fine and costume jewelry comes in a wide range of price points that will fit most any budgets. My favorite places to find these items are Etsy, estate sales and eBay.
