Sweet gifts for Valentine's Day
If you're just about to celebrate your first anniversary or rejoice in your 50th year together, you might be stuck for the right words to say. A bouquet of red roses or a home-cooked meal in candlelight are good ideas but how about going that one step further and offering your sweetheart some unique, tender sweets that remind you of your time together?
Plus: who doesn't like sweets?!
History
Valentine's Day was initially a day to celebrate one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus but it was the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century that turned February 14 into a day associated with romantic love. It was Chaucer's poem Parlement of Foules that first aligned the day with romantic love, with the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia making every bird "choose his mate" in honour of their anniversary.
Romance has continued to be a staple of Valentine's Day ever since. In fact, the underlying motif is hardly any different in the 21st century. However instead of celebrating someone else's engagement, we now celebrate the love between two couples or, if you're feeling speculative, the potential love that may blossom between two single people!
Modern-day lovers are inundated with ways to express their love in the form of chocolates, flowers, confectionery, greetings cards and a huge amount of other material. This new-found wealth of Valentine's products might make it easier to purchase a throwaway Valentine's gift without much thought but it is sentimentality and genuine thought that will shine through as the perfect gift. As a result, the amount of Valentine's Day material on the market comes as a problem; how do you adequately express your love without simply bombarding your other half with flowers here and romantic dinners there?
Sentimentality
It's a common sight to see one half of a couple (typically men; sorry guys but it's true!) scurrying around town the day before, racking their brains as to what constitutes the perfect gift. While this method tends to work in the end, getting a gift for your better half should be much easier and stress-free.
Have a think back to when you and your partner first met. Did you share a bond over a certain piece of candy? Do you regularly buy a certain brand of sweet to this day? Is there a chocolate bar that brings back memories of times gone by? Is there a long lost traditional sweet that you just can't seem to find on the market any more? Certain retailers continue to stock rare candies and traditional sweeties that can't be found on the high street. Overall, a box of sweets that holds sentimental value can outdo even the most extravagant expressions of love because something that adequately signifies your time together has much more worth than a pretty but materialistic product.
What sweets shall I choose?
If you've shared a mutual love over American sweets then why not opt for a sweet hamper full of Hershey's chocolate, Reese's Pieces, Tootsie Roles, Chupa Chups and other quintessential sweeties from the USA? Depending on the hamper you buy, the box could double as a cute lunchbox for work; perfect for remembering this Valentine's Day in the future.
Is chocolate your other half's one true vice? A lot of us can't resist a bag of Chocolate Eclairs or a bar of Ritter Sport every now and then. Why not go the whole hog and grab a chocolate hamper stuffed with all their favourites? Here's another idea: grab a chocolate hamper and, together, hit the kitchen to melt down some of your choccies as part of making a fabulous yet simple cake or dessert. Definitely one for the chocolate obsessives among us!
Valentine's Day is meant to be a reminder of the things that make people fall in love and feel loved. If you remember a certain spark during your first date, February 14 is the perfect opportunity to celebrate that spark and the years that have followed. If sweets and treats trigger a certain memory - your first picnic together, your first cinema date to name but a few - then sweets can make the perfect Valentine's gift.
