As Valentine’s Day approaches, stores start to fill up with bouquets and heart-shaped chocolates, but are these overpriced items really the best way for people to express their love? Partners often try to get the best present for their loved ones on Valentine’s Day by spending money on expensive jewelry, chocolates, flowers, and other material goods. In fact, the National Retail Federation predicts that consumers will spend a record of $27.5 billion this year on Valentine’s Day. This is a lot of money which takes away from the real focus of Valentine’s day—celebrating love.

Given the amount of spending around Valentine’s Day, there is a strong expectation among students to buy a present for your partner. But this expectation can often be unrealistic, especially for students who don’t have money to spend on presents. One senior stated that she has been stressed about having enough money to buy a nice gift for their partner for Valentine’s Day. Although buying gifts for a loved one can be seen as a romantic gesture, it also adds pressure to the relationship. 

Along with this financial strain, giving gifts can often become a competition, turning a well-intentioned romantic gesture into a source of anxiety. A UC Berkeley study has stated that “people – when observed – are conspicuously generous in their giving and will even compete… to win.” This is especially relevant in relationships where people attempt to give gifts as an act of love but as shown this can often turn into a competition of who can give the best gift. One way to reduce this stress is to make sure to set a price limit, so the monetary value of the gift isn’t prioritized. The gesture is what really matters. Ms. Holly Brown, Health and Wellness director at Sacred Heart, reinforced this idea, stating, “something that actually should be discussed as Valentine’s Day is coming up, is good communication. So then one person isn’t feeling let down if there isn’t a gift.”

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be a day filled with gifts and expensive restaurants, but rather celebrating love. Brady Grossman ‘29 stated that we should be “prioritizing sentimental items over materialistic ones.” People shouldn’t be giving expensive gifts, but rather meaningful gifts that add to the real meaning of the holiday. Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts can be the ones that are small and inexpensive, like sentimental cards or photos.

In the end, Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be about the presents or who can spend the most money on the most gifts, but rather expressing affection towards your partner. Getting flashy, expensive gifts adds unnecessary stress to the relationships and takes away from the actual holiday. Simple, thoughtful gestures mean more than expensive presents, reminding us that love shouldn’t be defined by price tags.