You take a deep breath, inhaling the gently sweet and irresistibly fresh scent of the flowers, made even more delightful by the fact that the gift was given to you by a loved one. As soon as you get home, you place them into an ornate vase, which complements the beauty of the flowers. The soft pink peonies, golden daffodils, and delicate baby’s breath provide your home with a much-needed burst of color that uplifts your mood whenever you walk past. 

   These days, giving flowers isn’t the most popular option for Valentine’s Day. Throwing a box of chocolates at your valentine might seem like an easy option, but why not get them a more meaningful gift? As junior Macarena Morales explains, “Flowers are more meaningful because they… require more thought when you’re giving it to someone, like for example you wouldn’t give the same type of flower to everyone. Each flower is unique to everyone.” Different flowers send different messages; for example, red roses represent love and romance, white lilies represent purity and/or new beginnings, and sunflowers can represent anything from loyalty to optimism. 

    Some even have preferences for unique flowers, such as junior Matthew Castillo, who says “If it was a friend or anyone else, I’d be more inclined for chocolate but if it was someone I really liked, and they got me venus flytrap or a hydrangea I’d be really happy, but only the ones that react with pH to turn different colors!” It doesn’t necessarily have to be an elaborate bouquet of flowers; both non-flowering plants and flowers have deeper meanings. Venus flytraps, for instance, represent persistence.

   Now don’t get me wrong, I do love chocolate, and they make a pretty good Valentine’s Day gift. But once they’re gone, they’re gone; it doesn’t matter if you bought it at a supermarket or from a master chocolate maker in Switzerland. Even though fresh flowers may have a shorter lifespan than properly-stored chocolate, even after they die, they are valuable and can serve a purpose. Some choose to preserve dead flowers in resin or shadow boxes, while others simply save them as decorations. And even when dead, flowers represent something deeper: the longevity of beauty or love. 

  Overall, the act of giving flowers is just more poetic and expressive. Flowers represent the utmost beauty of nature and are tools for human communication. To give someone a flower is to give them a hand-written letter: each petal representing a word.  

      So this February, maybe consider giving flowers to your loved ones. Whether it’s meant to be platonic or romantic, giving someone flowers is a lot more meaningful and thoughtful than buying someone chocolates. There are an infinite amount of types, colors, and deeper meanings when it comes to flowers, but no matter which ones you choose, just know that you will be brightening someone’s day. 

   Valentine’s Day: It’s a day made entirely for expressing your love for your friends, family and special others. But what exactly does love look like? There are long and tight warm hugs for those whose love language is physical touch, love letters filled with sweet messages for those who are more appreciative of words of affirmation, and so on. When it comes down to giving gifts, though, — arguably one of the most important aspects of the holiday– the answer to the broad problem of what to give someone is fairly simple: food.

   Don’t get me wrong, while I’d love to receive the classic flowers with a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, I’d have absolutely no issue if the flowers were cut out. Even if flowers are the perfect image of love as they encapsulate the whole aesthetic of the holiday with their variety of beautiful colors and soft scents, let’s face the truth: flowers are overrated. The recipient is given the responsibility to take care of them and still, the only service they provide is being a pleasant sight. Sophomore Gabriella Tolentino understands this perfectly. “I prefer receiving sweets because it’s something I can actually indulge in,” she explains. “Yes, flowers are pretty, but they will just end up dying anyway.” With sweet treats, however, at least your stomach is guaranteed to be filled without a single sour thought on your mind.

   In any situation, really, food is always the way to go. Sophomore Dylan Escandell, who plans to give his own valentine sweets this year, notes that “everyone likes chocolate. It tastes good and it’s a safe option you can depend on.” Clearly, you can always trust the process when it comes to chocolates, and not even only that, but the entire range of treats you can give your loved ones on Valentine’s Day! There are candy hearts, chocolate covered strawberries, brownies, cakes, cookies, and so much more! You can even add your own personal touch to them if you make the treat yourself.

   Certainly, the beauty of flowers can add to the look of a gift. However, that’s exactly to what extent its significance goes — flowers are always in the background, a mere side piece. Take a Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed, for example. While you can see the effort given in preparing the entire thing, what stands out is the sweet meal itself; flowers in a vase simply fill up the space and enhance the food’s aesthetic to present a more lovely vibe.

   The fact of the matter is, as sophomore Anaya Andre puts it, “Food always brings people together.” Everyone knows this, whether you’ve had special experiences during Valentine’s Day or not. Knowing your special other enough to get them their favorite flowers is great, of course, but knowing them deeply enough to fill both their heart and their stomach at the same time with any sort of food is even better.

   Like Anaya says, “Something about giving sweets makes the gift so much sweeter.”