If you have a valentine, Valentine’s Day is approaching and you should start shopping for something that will make your valentine feel special. 

You can always stick to the basic Valentine’s gifts, chocolates, and flowers, which everyone appreciates. However, from the various Whitney Young students I interviewed, an overall theme was sentimentality. Sonali Angus, a senior at Whitney Young, said, “I don’t care what I get as long as it’s sentimental.” Sadie Ahern, a senior at Whitney Young, stated, “I would like an assortment of sentimental items and chocolate I like, maybe even a nice perfume, but the gift must be sentimental.” So, what is a sentimental gift? 

A sentimental gift is one that is nostalgic and unique to your valentine or the bond you two share. You don’t have to break your bank. For example, my friend Caden Liss is super into music, so he said his ideal Valentine’s gift would be “merch from my [his] favorite artist.” If you’re not sure about who their favorite artist is, you could get them festival merchandise. Since we live in Chicago, Lollapalooza and Summer Smash happen annually and many of us attend. If your valentine has attended either Summer Smash or Lollapalooza, you can easily get them some cute merchandise like the Sun Line-Up Hoodie.

If you are just starting to get to know your valentine, you could start making memories together through an experience. Zi Hu, a senior, said that he would “bring [his] valentine out to dinner.” If you don’t want to take them out to dinner, you could make them dinner or even make dinner together. If you’re not an amazing cook, you can follow an easy recipe like my personal favorite pasta recipe, Gigi Hadid’s Vodka Pasta. Another unique experience is going to Cuddle Bunny, located in Lincoln Park and Schaumburg, which allows you and your valentine to interact with bunnies.

This year, Legos are a top Valentine’s gift. Lego recently released Lego Flowers. Unlike real flowers, these flowers will last forever. There are many different variations including roses and wildflowers. 

Overall, you don’t need to get your valentine a gift. Valentine’s Day is a day dedicated to love, meaning you can show the people you love just how much you appreciate them.