Or wait… did you even give your partner anything?

Well, we definitely hope that what happened was the first option. But if not, well, we understand your partner very much. 

Don’t worry, though. We have six amazing gift ideas for you! Whether it’s for the women in your life, for your best friend, or the person you have your eye on, you’ll have a gift for Valentine’s 2023.  You won’t be lacking any heart’s day gift idea this time!

Wait… why do we give gifts on Valentine’s day, anyway?

Now, you might be wondering why gifts are necessary on Valentine’s Day. Isn’t this just some unnecessary, made-up holiday?

Well, yeah… but we’re sure your partner would still appreciate receiving something on the day that has been chosen to represent love, right?

But if you’re wondering about the history of gift-giving, one story from The Varsity is that one of the first gifts ever given on Valentine’s was red roses. And that’s because roses are the favorite flowers of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Lovers would use roses as gifts for Valentine’s to show their great love for one another.

Another kind of gift would be apparently started by Charles, the Duke of Orleans, back on Valentine’s Day of 1415. While imprisoned in the Tower of London, he wrote his wife a poem, thus starting the tradition of giving gift cards, or just simply cards.

And apparently, according to Jin Designs, the act of giving gifts to loved ones just simply grew over the years in popularity. And in every country, there were gifts for every type of person, and not always in a romantic way. For example, in Italy, children were given keys to protect them from illnesses, while in England, children were given presents and sweets.

Ideas for best gifts to give on Valentine’s Day

So yes, going back to gift ideas… What is the best gift to give on Valentine’s day, you ask? Well, here are our ideas!

1. Give a classic Valentine’s gift: Flowers.

No offense to anyone, but if you were thinking “What’s the most popular gift on Valentine’s day?” and you didn’t think of flowers… 

Anyway, flowers are classic Valentine’s gifts. Girls appreciate them very much as a symbol of romance and appreciation, as indicated in this article by 24 Hrs City Florist. And even guys like receiving flowers!

In short, you’ll never go wrong with flowers as a thoughtful gift for the occasion. 

You don’t have to be limited to just roses though – your partner isn’t Aphrodite, right? Find out what your partner’s favorite flowers are, and give that to them!

Here’s a tip: flowers will get expensive during this season, so if you can find a florist who will give you a good price for ordering early, do it! And we do recommend ordering early, since it won’t just be you giving flowers to your special someone.

Speaking of flowers, if your partner loves flowers, why not make a unique gift out of them by giving them edible flowers? The Bailiwick Academy has a course by Chef Marc that will teach you how to do that! 
Check out our Art of Edible Flowers class here.

2. Spend quality time with your partner.

So maybe you weren’t able to give a good gift for Valentine’s because you fell asleep racking your brain for unique Valentine’s day gifts. Well, for 2023, here’s a perfect gift you can give your partner: quality time. Like MBG Relationships says in their article: 

“For people whose love language is quality time, “nothing says ‘I love you’ like full, undivided attention from those you love,” says Gary Chapman, Ph.D., the marriage counselor who developed the love language theory.

In short, just set a time to fully be with your partner. Reserve a table at a restaurant for a romantic dinner, or order takeout. Or if you’re a great cook (or you took up some of The Bailiwick Academy’s cooking courses), cook for them! And if you have kids, get someone to babysit.  If your partner’s love language is quality time, they will definitely appreciate that you took the time to get them alone and bond with them.

If both of you are not into a quiet dinner, set up a date night where no phones and no work are allowed. Go watch your favorite historical Korean dramas. Play video games. It’s up to you. The great thing about this gift (aside from it being one of the most personal gifts you can think of) is that it doesn’t even have to be a grand thing. Just be with your partner and give them your full attention. Pretty simple, right?

(And in our opinion, the answer to “What is the best gift to give a girl on Valentine’s Day?” is definitely quality time. Yes, we’re biased.)

3. Chocolates

Chocolates are also another of those classic Valentine’s Day gift ideas! This all started thanks to the Aztecs, according to Royal Wholesale Chocolate. You see, they considered chocolates as aphrodisiacs. Spaniards who explored their part of the world brought that idea over back to Europe, marketing chocolate as a love potion for men to woo ladies. So by the Victorian Era, it became common practice for men to give chocolates to women as a romantic gesture.

Chocolates can come in many forms, but of course, the most common is the heart-shaped chocolate for Valentine’s. 

Of course, if you want your chocolates to be uncommon and be one of those unique Valentine’s day gifts, you should enroll in The Bailiwick Academy’s course with Chef Ely Salar: The Art of Chocolate! Not only will your chocolates look different, but they’ll taste super amazing too!

4. Gifts for relaxation

Thanks to a very unstable economy nowadays, practically everyone is overworked. So why not give your partner something to help them relax? Believe us, it’s one of the most unique Valentine’s Day gifts you can ever give. 

And when it comes to gift ideas related to relaxation, there are plenty. You can give them bath bombs or a shower steamer, an essential oil like lavender (and couple it with an oil diffuser), and even a neck massager. 

If you want to go all out, we suggest booking a spa day!

(This part also answers the question, “What to give your BFF for Valentine’s Day,” in case you wanted to treat your best friend. Cool, right?)

5. Something related to their likes or hobbies.

Why not support the interests of your partner and give them something that is related to what they like? For example, you’ve noticed that they just like collecting hearts (such a very creative example, yes?). Why not give them a personalized gift of a mini heart in a necklace?

Or you know that they like doing makeup. Give them beauty products, and then sign them up at  The Bailiwick Academy for Makeup 101. After all, we don’t only have cooking or baking classes. We also have guitar lessons, a knitting course, and even a basic cinematography course.

And if you know that they have plenty of interests and likes, why not schedule a whole week of date nights where every night, you do something different, but still related to whatever they like? For example, on night one, you go rock climbing. Night two, you go dancing. And so on.

We guarantee that you’ll get plenty of brownie points, and undying love and appreciation from your partner!

6. Give a practical gift for Valentine’s Day.

There are some people who don’t really appreciate romantic gestures, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Maybe their personality is just that they want to receive something they can use for a long time or something that will address their needs. For example, home decor in the shape of mini hearts may be cute and all, but you can’t really use them except on Valentine’s Day, right?

If your partner is like that, then find out what they need, and buy that. 

For example, do they have anxiety and find falling asleep difficult? Get them an eye mask and a weighted blanket to help them fall asleep.

Do they want to experience weight loss? Get them personalized meal plans or enroll them in exercise programs you know they’ll enjoy.

Do they want a small night light because they want to be able to see the path going to the bathroom at night? Go buy them a night light.

Do they like waffles? Buy a waffle maker for them.

Believe us, they will find the fact that you are meeting their needs very touching, and they will appreciate your gift, no matter how boring you might find it to be.

Remember, the best of the best Valentine’s Day ideas is one that will make your partner happy!

But wait… I’m the girl. Should I be giving Valentine’s day gifts?

While yes, traditionally, men are the ones that give gifts for women, who says women can’t give gifts as well? In Japan, for example, girls are the ones that give chocolates to men to express their love. Besides, we’re moving towards being a progressive society, right? So if you want to give a guy a gift, go for it!

It doesn’t even have to be a romantic gift. It could just be something that shows your appreciation toward that person. So don’t be shy if you’re Googling “what is the best gift to give a man on valentine’s day,” “what do you give a male friend for valentine’s day,” “what is the best gift for a boy on valentine’s day,” “what is the best gift for husband on valentine’s day,” or any other variation.

Final thoughts

Well, there you go: six gift ideas for Valentine’s Day in 2023. We’re still not entirely sure how to answer “What is the best gift to give on Valentine’s Day?” But we do hope that next year, you won’t be left scrambling for ​​Valentine’s day gift ideas! Our fingers are crossed that you have a better Valentine’s Day next year.

And if you want to really make things special for your loved one, why not combine any of these and make a gift set? They will definitely feel really spoiled and very much loved.

Oh, and one final hack before we go: these gift ideas? They are also perfect gifts for future special occasions this 2022, like for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. We’re sure parents will appreciate anything on this list.

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Make sure to come back to The Bailiwick Academy blog for more articles about food, baking, cooking, business, gift guides, and so much more!

And of course, don’t forget to sign up at The Bailiwick Academy for life-changing courses!

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