Valentine’s day gift guide

It’s the end of January, and that means it’s almost February 14th, Valentine’s Day. For so many of us, that also means the yearly struggle to come up with the perfect gift for the person we love. Thankfully, shopping for a Valentine’s Day gift is a lot easier when you know what your favourite human is interested in, and Best Buy’s Valentine’s Day Deals have a bit of everything for every type of Valentine.

Table of Contents

1. History of Valentine’s Day
2. Gifts for the Fashionista
3. Gifts for the techie
4. Gifts for the entertainer
5. Gifts for the cook
6. Gifts for the adventurer

What’s the history of Valentine’s Day?

Just like Christmas, there is a long and varied history behind Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day as we know it began way back in 6th century B.C. when the Romans held a fertility festival called Lupercalia between the dates of February 13 and 15th. Lupercalia was eventually outlawed, and the Pope created St.Valentine’s Day in place of it. The day became tied to the idea of love and marriage at some point in medieval times when it was believed that February 14th was the date that nesting season began for birds.

When is Valentine’s Day in 2024

This year, Valentine’s Day, February 14th, falls on a Wednesday. A midweek celebration takes special planning to make it a success. Early preparation is a key. Plan a meal that is easy to prepare: especially if you will be at an office all day and commuting home in traffic. Control what you can: order your gift early so it arrives with plenty of time for you to gift wrap it. If you celebrate with a nice dinner and a movie night, get some of the prep-work done the night before so you are able to start watching the movie early enough, so you don’t fall asleep midway through.

Why are hearts used as a symbol for Valentine’s Day?

Fast forward to the middle ages and hearts began to be used during the period of St. Valentine’s Day. Roman men would wear the name of their intended on their sleeve during a festival honouring the goddess Juno. This is where the phrase ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve’ came from.

Cupid was also created by the Romans, but he didn’t become a big part of Valentine’s Day until modern times when he, along with hearts, became the face of love and romance for the day. Valentine’s Day cards and tokens of love begin to be exchanged in the 1700 and 1800’s, and to this day we still exchange cards, chocolates, and gifts to show our love for someone.

General ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts

There is a lot of great gift options for Valentine’s Day, so it can be hard to know where to start. There are a lot of great general ideas for Valentine’s Day including jewelry like bracelets and necklaces, watches or smartwatches for men, or a gift that speaks to their hobbies like fitness or gaming. There is also aromatherapy to help your partner de-stress after a long day of work.

Here are some other great ideas for Valentine’s Day, broken down by area of interest.

Valentine’s Day gifts for the Fashionista

Anytime you buy a watch or jewelry for Valentine’s Day, you’re giving your Valentine a memento they can always look back on. There are quite a few great choices in the jewelry department, some traditional and some for the fashion and tech-minded person.

A smartwatch is a great choice for someone with a focus on fitness but still wants to look stylish while doing so. Smartwatches can usually track your calories burned, steps taken, heart rate, and all of your social media notifications. You can also add to her gift by choosing a few smartwatch accessories.

If your partner loves to accessorize with a bit of sparkle, jewelry is another great option. There are necklaces, bracelets, or rings you can choose, or you can pick a classic watch so they will remember you every time they look down at their wrist.

There are also smart glasses that double as a fashion accessory and stream your favourite audio.

Valentine’s Day Gifts for the techie

If you struggle for a gift idea for the techie in your life, a smartwatch or fitness watch is a great choice. If you have a smart home fan on your Valentine’s list, there are a lot of great choices too.

For the smart home fan who wants to add tech to every room, a smart display is a great choice. Smart displays allow you to control your smart home devices, stream video and audio. The latest smart displays have sleep monitoring built in, so they can even help your Valentine get better rest.

Is your Valentine always losing their keys or wallet? Gift them an item tracking device that can be easily attached or slipped into any of your most-lost items. If you misplace them, just open up the app on your phone and you can track them down.

When the one you love also loves going to the gym, earbuds are a great gift to get them through that workout, de-stress when listening to music, or as an accessory for working at home.

Last, but certainly not least on the tech list, are gifts for gamers. I honestly can’t think of a better gamer gift this Valentine’s Day than a new console or laptop. That way they can game with you or take their favourite game wherever they go.

Gifts for the entertainer in your life

Does your Valentine love to entertain? You can help them set the tone and create the perfect atmosphere with smart speakers and audio systems.

Help them prepare for hosting gatherings again or treat them to better audio for movie nights at home by adding a sound bar. A sound bar seamlessly connects to your TV to offer big, home theatre style sound in a small package. Plus, you can stream your favourite playlists or enjoy better sound from your movies and TV shows.

Bluetooth speakers are another great audio choice. They usually come with a voice assistant built-in so you can control it with your voice. If you are already making summer plans with your Valentine, a portable speaker is a gift you can give now and enjoy even more in the summer season.

Everything old is new again, and this is a great year to gift your partner with a turntable to play vinyl. Some turntables will connect to your speakers or home theatre system so you can stream your records.

Great Valentine’s Day gifts for the cook

A home cook knows exactly what to prepare for Valentine’s Day dinner, and for a cozy evening at home, you’ll want to bring the right kitchen gift with you. From small appliances to coffee makers and sizzling specialty grills, there are great gifts for every cook this Valentine’s Day.

Coffee is one of my favourite things in the entire world, so if someone were to choose Valentine’s gifts for me, I’d love an espresso machine that can grind coffee beans and make the perfect Latte, Americano, or Cappuccino.

If they want to bake a sheet of cookies or whip up a loaf of bread, a mixer is a great choice so your Valentine can bring their baking to the next level. Or, if your Valentine is a real foodie, an outdoor pizza oven is a great choice.

Gifts for the Eco-conscious Valentine

This Valentine’s Day you can give a gift that’s eco-friendly and lowers your carbon footprint. Many of the products on that page include some recycled materials, which is great for the environment. There are also some products that are made entirely of recycled material.

ChopValue produces a variety of products from recycled chopsticks that they collect, clean and process, then build into unique products like this practical cell phone stand that will look amazing on anyone’s desk.

Another great product that is good for your health and for the environment is soda and sparkling water makers. They are a great alternative to drinking bottled soda, and you can use the recycled bottle to take soda with you on the go. Make your own sparkling beverages whenever you want.

Gifts for the adventurer in your life

Travelling isn’t just a yearly break for some people; it can also be a passion and a lifestyle. While everyone will decide individually when it’s time to travel again, if you’re ready to plan a trip with your partner, there are a lot of great Valentine gift choices for them.

Whether you’re eventually planning to travel near or far, there are a lot of different bags you can choose to keep your luggage organized. There are also different portable technology to keep you comfortable and have fun while travelling including headphones and cameras.

If you plan on sticking to your local area this year, there are a lot of great gifts for outdoor treks. Take a paddleboard together out on your local lake or fly a drone around your backyard and create videos together. If you both like to hike or bike, an adventure camera is a great choice to document your next camp out. 

Check out the Valentine’s Day Hub

No matter what your Valentine’s interests are, you don’t have to break the bank to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your partner. Check out the Best Buy Valentine’s Day gifts 2024 for more great Valentine’s ideas.