According to Wikipedia, Valentine’s Day didn’t become associated with romantic love until the High Middle Ages when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Ever since, the day has been fraught with symbolism tinged with traces of anxiety.
We all want our gifts to communicate the appropriate amount of love, but we’re sometimes unsure how to accomplish that. Questions abound. Should you buy him a sexy card or tickets to a basketball game? Should you present her with costly French perfume, and if so, what brand? Will she take those teardrop earrings to mean more than you intend—or quite a bit less? And then, on the other end of the love spectrum, what if you simply can’t afford to shower your loved one with the gifts that he or she deserves?
If you’re watching your money (and these days, who isn’t?), the good news is that we live in an era when the grand gesture can be more meaningful than a present costing hundreds of dollars. And with a little forethought, yours will convey just the right amount of love. Here are six gift ideas for the frugalista with a heart of gold, but a wallet running on empty:
1. Invent a signature drink for your sweetheart.
Is he of Russian descent? Perhaps the drink should contain Russian vodka in his honor. Does she hail from Florida? Maybe the drink should be made with fresh-squeezed oranges instead. Are you dating a redhead? Consider adding ginger as one of the prominent drink flavors. For added fun and hijinks, print up the recipe on cardstock so that your loved one can order the libation with ease at restaurants and bars. Be sure to put some personality into that recipe card.
2. Get inventive with the I.O.U.s.
These ingenious notes can save you a small fortune ... or even a large one. Instead of running around trying to find the perfect present for your paramour, take half of an afternoon to design a pretty I.O.U. certificate on your computer for “one free home-cooked meal.” Then fill in his name, print out the document, wrap it with a ribbon, and you’re done. Cupid will attest, the quickest way to a man’s heart is (still) through his stomach.
3. Name a star.
It’s a symbolic gesture that has little to do with science, but much to do with love and affection. Plus, it can add a real bright spot to your relationship. Call a star after a girlfriend, boyfriend, or even “just a friend” for under $15. Every time that special person in your life stares up at the heavens, he or she will be sure to think of you fondly.
4. Shop your closet.
“Love consists of desiring to give what is our own to another and feeling his delight as our own,” Emanuel Swedenborg wrote. Passing on something that was yours to someone you cherish is not merely about the value of the item itself. Hopefully, the gesture will stike an emotion, and you’ll have a chance to see your own joy reflected back in the recipient’s face. Please note: Never relinquish something that you can’t live without should the relationship combust.
5. Say it with music.
When love is in the air, why not pretend that you’re an on-air personality and burn a CD of the tunes that remind you of your sweetheart? If you have been dating for over a year, the songs might hearken back to the night you met. Or the CD might include the melody that played when you first kissed. Sweet dreams are made of this.
6. Something, anything, in her or his color.
Some women look dashing in pink. Some guys look fetching in emerald green. When you know your lover’s favorite color and then buy a present in the precise shade, it shows an extra degree of thought. These gifts needn’t be costly. Scarves, hats, and gloves in every color of the rainbow can be purchased for under $10 at your local street vendors. Even something as frivolous as a pink pen can bring a smile to the right face—hers.
If you have just started dating, Valentine’s Day is a built-in opportunity to move your relationship forward by mutually exploring a new level of intimacy. On the other hand, if you have been dating or married for a while, Valentine’s Day presents the perfect chance to rekindle the romance and remember why you fell in love in the first place. No matter what you spend on your significant other this Valentine’s Day, don’t forget to say, “I love you.”
根據維基百科，一直到中世紀盛期宮廷式戀愛遍地開花，情人節(又名圣瓦倫丁節)才和浪漫愛情聯系起來。自那以后，這個節日就充滿了象征意義，還伴隨著各種焦慮的痕跡。
我們都希望自己的禮物能傳達足夠的愛，但有時候我們不確定怎樣才能達到那種效果。問題多多。你是應該給他買一張性感的卡片還是籃球賽的門票?你要不要送她昂貴的法國香水呢，如果送，送什么牌子的好?她會把那對水滴狀耳環的涵義看得比你希望的要深，還是淺得多?還有，要是你買不起另一半值得擁有的禮物該怎么辦?
如果你正在打量自己的錢袋(這個時代，誰不會這樣做呢?)，好消息是，在我們所生活的年代，驚人的舉動比數百美元當禮物更有意義。只要略加籌劃，你就能傳遞足夠的愛。以下是給那些有真心卻無財力的時尚省錢達人的六個禮物創意：
1. 給你的心上人發明一種以他或她的名字命名的飲料。
他有俄羅斯血統嗎?那么也許這種飲料應該加些俄羅斯伏特加，以表示對他的敬意。她是從佛羅里達來的嗎?那么也許飲料應該用鮮榨果汁來做。你是在和紅頭發約會嗎?那么可以考慮往飲料里加點姜汁。為了增添余興，你還可以在卡片紙上印出配方，這樣你的愛人就可以在飯店和酒吧隨心所欲地點這款飲料。別忘了配方卡片要做得有個性。
2. 創意欠條。
這種創意小便條可以給你省下一筆小錢……沒準還是筆大錢。與其東跑西顛地找尋完美禮物，不如花半個下午時間在電腦上設計一張漂亮的“免費家庭晚宴”欠條。然后寫上他的名字，打印出來，用緞帶裹起來，就完成了。丘比特將是見證人，要征服一個男人的心，最快的方法是通過他的胃。
3. 給一顆星星取名。
這種象征性舉動和科學沒什么關系，但和愛情卻大有相關。而且，它還能成為你們感情關系中的亮點。只需不到15美元就能用女友、男友的名字給星星命名。每次你生命中那個特別的人仰望蒼穹時，他/她一定會充滿柔情地想起你。
4. 從你的櫥柜挑禮物。
伊曼紐•史威登堡曾寫道：“愛由付出自己和分享他的快樂組成。”把你的某樣東西送給你所愛的人不只是和該物品本身價值有關。這一舉動會引發情感共鳴，你將有機會看到你自己曾感受到的歡樂反射到愛人的臉上。不過請注意：不要把你離了不能活的東西送給出去，萬一感情崩了呢。
5. 用音樂說出你的愛。
當愛在空氣中彌漫時，為什么不做一次DJ，播放那張讓你想起心上人的歌曲CD呢?如果你們已經約會了一年，這些歌也許會讓你們回到初遇的晚上。或你初吻那天正在播放的歌曲CD。甜蜜的夢境由此而生。
6. 挑選一件他或她鐘愛的顏色的禮物。
有些女人穿粉色衣服很漂亮，有些男人穿翠綠色很迷人。如果你知道愛人最喜歡的顏色，就買一件那種顏色的禮物吧，這表明你是花了心思的。這些禮物無需花太多錢。各種顏色的圍巾、帽子、手套都可以用10美元以下的價格在當地的街頭小販那里買到。即使像粉色鋼筆這種微不足道的東西都可以給鐘愛粉色的她的臉帶來一絲微笑。
如果你剛剛開始約會，情人節是讓感情更進一步、讓你們變得更親密的一個固有機會。如果你交往或結婚已經有了一段時間，情人節將是重新點燃浪漫激情、讓你記起當初你們緣何墜入愛河的完美時機。不管你情人節給你的愛人花了多少錢，別忘了說，“我愛你”。