Valentines Gift Ideas

Are you looking to buy a Valentines chocolate gift? These types of gifts have been an all time favorite. Whether you are going to buy a box of chocolate truffles, a gourmet chocolate set bundled with a bouquet of flowers, or this sweat candy in a gift basket - you’ll be giving a romantic gift that will warm your lovers heart.

For many years, people have been giving chocolate gifts to show their appreciation or affection. Although it could just be an affordable gift, it’s an easy way to increase the emotional connection or relationship between you and somebody you care for. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to share in the joy by getting a taste of this sweet treat.

Before you buy a chocolate gift, you have to consider which type of chocolate you lover loves. Does he or she like the delectable dark chocolate? You also have to think about the other 2 scrumptious types: white and milk chocolate.

Once you break it down to these three types, you’ll have an easier time picking since there is such a tremendous selection in the marketplace. Besides the two chocolate giants in the world, Hershey and Nestle, you must take a browse through the finest gourmet chocolates made throughout the world. For Valentines day, some that seems unique or personalized can touch her heart. As there are a variety of decorative boxes and bags that can be a romantic gift.

So whether your lover is a him or a her, your can offer a chocolate surprise. You can look online for some great deals and to see what’s available. The best thing about buying a Valentines chocolate on the internet is that prices have been greatly discounted compared to what you can find in the shops. So instead of spending the many hours driving around and hunting down that special gift, you can spend just a few hours, order, and have it shipped directly to you.

Charlene Lee is a contributor to http://www.RomanticOnlineGifts.com, a place you can go to if you want to find great deals on Valentines Day chocolates.

Did You Know That…

…Valentine’s Day is the second largest card sending holiday of the year, second only to Christmas?

…Women purchase about 85% of Valentine’s?

…Valentine’s Day is also celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Australia?

…In February 2004, $2.4 billion worth of jewelry was purchased?

While some things can be known about the origins of Valentine’s Day, one thing we don’t know for sure is just where or when we began celebrating amore, although there have been many stories told over the years. I’ve been reading a few of the legends and myths and I want to share them with you. I have my favorite. Now you pick yours.

The Stories About Saint Valentine

One story alleges that Valentine was a priest living in the 3rd century in Rome. His story is deeply enmeshed with that of the Emperor Claudius II (aka: Claudius the Cruel), who ruled Rome at this time. Claudius was involved in many wars around Rome, but he could not convince many men to leave their wives and families. His solution was to outlaw marriage and cancel all engagements. The men would then be able to focus on waging war. Valentine, believing this law to be unjust, began marrying couples in secret. When Claudius discovered what Valentine was doing, it is said that he had him executed.

Another story has Claudius killing Valentine for helping Christians escape the Roman prisons, where they were regularly beaten and tortured.

Yet a third story claims that Valentine was put to death for curing the jailor’s daughter of her blindness. She frequently visited Valentine while he was jailed. They were said to have fallen in love. In fact, Valentine may have originated the tradition of sending written avowals of love and romance. Prior to being put to death, Valentine allegedly wrote a letter to her, signing it “From your Valentine”, an expression we continue to use today. It is believed that he was executed on February 14, 269 A.D. Thus, Saint Valentine became both a romantic and a hero.

The Feast of Lupercalia

The Feast of Lupercalia may have been the first legend told surrounding the beginnings of Valentine’s Day. Lupercalia, a fertility festival celebrated on February 15, was a celebration to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. Lupercalia was also a dedication to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Lupercus was said to watch over the shepherd’s flocks, keeping then safe from wolves. The Roman priests would sacrifice both a goat and a dog to begin the festival. The goat represented fertility, while the dog symbolized purification.

The goat’s hide was then sliced into strips and dipped into the sacrificial blood. The men went out into the streets, gently slapping the women with the goathide strips. The women welcomed this gesture as they believed it would make them more fertile in the year ahead. Later in the day, all the single women’s names were placed in an urn. The bachelor men would pull a name from the urn. The couple would spend much time together over the next year and many of these pairings resulted in marriage.

The Feast of Lupercalia continued for centuries. As Christianity began to take hold though, the priests strived to replace the heathen practices by substituting the names of saints for the girls names. Those drawing from the urn would then aspire to imitate the lives of the saint whose name they had drawn. While the priests wished to abolish the pagan traditions, they sought to keep the festival flavor of feasts and sports. Thus, Lupercalia became Valentine’s Day.

Traditions Over the Ages

The origins of our modern valentines most likely date back to the early 1400’s. While he was a prisoner in the Tower of London, the French Duke of Orleans wrote many, many poems and valentines to his wife. Some of these remain and are on display at the British Museum in London. flowers became popular gifts about 200 years later in France.

Americans began the tradition of exchanging hand-made valentine’s in the early 1700’s. Presently, every February, all across America, we celebrate our love and our loved ones on Valentine’s Day with gifts, flowers, candy, and Valentine’s greeting cards. Saint Valentine became the patron saint of lovers and we continue to celebrate the spirit of love and sentiment and good feelings.

Patricia Tomaskovic is the Owner of http://www.one-stop-gift-shop.com. We are a fully stocked online shopping mall with over 3500 items, offering a complete line of gifts for every occasion.

Valentine’s gifts for men are easier to pick out than most women predict they would be. If you’re depressed about the pithy suggestions that keep coming up like socks, a tie, or toiletry kit, relax! This article will help you find the choicest Valentine’s gifts for him.

First of all, let it be said, from a guy’s perspective, that there are many important ways to make a guy feel better outside of just plopping gifts in front of him. Words of affirmation, admiration, and compliments can boost a guy’s self-esteem. Make sure your attitude and message is authentic. Set aside everything else to give him some personal, caring attention. Guys, not just girls, need to feel emotionally secure. Another thing you can do is serve him. Acts of service are meaningful to men and women alike. Brew him a cup of special hot chocolate you bought for the occasion and make his favorite meal. Bring him a delicious breakfast in bed. Erotic touch, caresses, hugs, kisses, massages, and any kind of affection are especially appreciated by some men. It’s all about finding the right balance of the aforementioned ideas not only on Valentine’s Day, but as a necessary part of the daily relationship. Find out what works for him. Simply give them more abundantly, genuinely, and gracefully as Valentine’s Day gifts.

Some of the most unique Valentine’s day gifts for him are the ones that cost a little. A high-quality watch, universal remote, Apple iPod, iTunes gift certificate, XM or Sirius radio subscription, power tools, magazine subscriptions, DVDs, grooming products, cologne, tickets to his favorite sports event, footwear, a ring, silk boxers, a picnic basket, personally engraved jewelry, a robe with his initials, a mouse pad with a customized message, or a new puppy dog or kitty cat.

Sometimes the best Valentines gifts are the ones he’ll remember for the rest of the life. In this case, avoid items that can be used up, spent, or forgotten. A watch or ring engraved with his initials or a message, especially if it’s a style he truly wants, will be with him for a longer period of time. It’s rare to forget the source of something. So, for instance, if he really gets a lot of enjoyment out of the best dust buster on the market, he’ll remember that it was your ingenuity that got it for him. Hey, some guys are clean freaks. In any case, the Valentine’s gifts for him should create bonding memories for you both.

Natalie Aranda writes and blogs.

Valentine’s gifts for her are a crucial, often-overlooked element to a more fulfilling relationship. Most men are unaware of the importance of selecting the right Valentine’s gifts for women. Valentine’s gifts express and reflect many enriching, bonding qualities in an enduring and satisfying relationship. Men should be careful not to purchase lavish, expensive, or overtly sexual gifts unless the context of such gifts is warranted. It’s vital to select a gift for her that fits into the seriousness and timing of the relationship.

Expensive gifts evoke subconscious parallels to something valuable, long-term, and worth keeping. Sexual gifts heighten romance because of the occasion. In that regard, it’s critical that the Valentines gifts are not grossly animalistic, perverted, or classless. A sexy blouse, revealing lingerie, or edible body oil are all excellent gift ideas. A blouse accentuates who she is, the lingerie reveals her beauty yet again, and the body oil can be applied for sensual massages. A personal card, if it took time, thought, and some effort will go miles toward propelling a relationship. Again, chocolate is an aphrodisiac.

Valentine’s Day gifts have the potential to create powerful emotional memories that are both subconscious and physiological. Surprising a partner or spouse with jewelry is an unforgettable event, and it can be underscored with a message true to your mind and heart. Surprise her not only with the gift, but the message of commitment and lasting love that is such a beautiful addendum to the moment together.

Good gift ideas on a budget include romantic DVDs, soothing CDs, Chanel No. 5 perfume, massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, or tickets to the symphony, theater, or ballet. Gifts can be useful for setting up a mood on Valentine’s Day. Candles, especially unique and beautiful ones, scented or unscented, can serve a useful purpose by bringing the focus to you and her. Even dimmed artificial lights can be disorienting and imposing. Poetry books, cookbooks, comfy pajamas, a new puppy, or home decor products are good Valentine’s gifts for women.

Creativity can also add a lot of flair to an otherwise predictable night of gift-giving. Order in her favorite meal from afar, ahead of time, and put it in the freezer for the special night. Try to think of a few things when deciding on her gifts. Make it the object of your desire to bestow as much joy as possible on her with the Valentine’s Gifts for her - and only her.

Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer.

Giving Valentines to your classmates used to include endless hours of making them out of construction paper, cute dollies and with painstaking attention to all the details. It was a project that was done at home, for each individual child in the class. And, it was one that great pride was taken in doing. Today, there are much fewer families making Valentines and many more just buying a box of them to give out to their classmates with a simple signature on the back of them.

This has happened mainly because of how commercialized the holiday has become. As manufacturing techniques have gotten better and more cost effective that is the way that American school children have gone. Before this, in the 1960’s, a book of valentines could be purchased. Children could actually cut out the cards from the book, personalize them with lace trim or even with candy and then send them on. But, it wasn’t long before children were ready to skip the cutting out part altogether.

The Puns

Who hasn’t smirked at the cute sayings that are placed on the Valentines cards? Such sayings as “I’m Sweet On You” have been used for years and years. It came from a time of collecting these types of catchy, cute sayings and riddles. These can still be found today on the Valentines that are purchased out of the box.

The Cards

The cards used to fill a box with a variety of different styles and designs. Common ones were those of fruits and vegetables with these puns on them or they could include a few pictures of cute animals. Today, children’s Valentines are more often in their favorite cartoon character.

Homemade Valentines

While children may not feel comfortable with providing homemade Valentines to their classmates today, they can and should still make them for their friends outside the classroom, for their adult friends and other loved ones. Not only is it a fun task to do, but it helps with motor skills and creativity as well. All that is needed is a simple piece of paper. The paper can be folded, cut, shaped in any way that they would like it to be. Here’s one project to try:

* Fold the paper in half, and then fold it in half again in the other direction.

* Trim the outer edge as desired and cut a straight line diagonally across the folded corner. This will make a diamond shape in the middle.

* Fold it diagonally. Cut hearts along the diagonal line. When the paper is unfolded, there is a line of pin pricks, which make it look much like a piece of lace.

* Add this lacey paper to the top of a piece of pink or red paper.

* Add decorations such as a picture of cupid, a coloring of a rose or anything that is enjoyable.

This is a simple, affordable way to make homemade Valentines that parents and other friends will love to hang on to for many years to come. If your child seems to want to use only Valentines that are store bought, this should be okay as well. Allow them to pick those that they find enjoyable and help them to make those for others as well.

Nicola Kennedy has become an expert in giving valentines day cards that are appreciated. Visit her site http://www.Best-Valentines.info for more great Valentines gift ideas to make Valentines 2006 a special one.

Copyright Best-Valentines.info All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact.