Valentine’s Day is February 14th as most of those that have made it to be husbands are constantly reminded. You just don’t generally make it all the way to wedding bells without knowing what and when Valentine’s Day is. However, there are many husbands out there scratching their heads about why they have to give their wives gifts on Valentine’s Day to begin with.

So to help husbands understand why it’s important to give their wives a valentine’s day a gift beyond she wants them too, the history of Valentine’s Day seems a fitting precursor to this helpful guide on how to buy a valentine’s gift for your wife.

Valentine’s Day is a Pagan holiday that was given a Christian saint for acceptance back when Pagan religions were out of style, so to speak. The ancient roman fertility festival of Lupercalia is the holiday that Valentine’s Day originated from. This Pagan ritual was held on February 15th and was not celebrated with cards, roses and candy at all. Priests would slaughter a goat for fertility and a dog for purity and then used strips of their flesh to whip women. They believed this made the women more fertile and pure in the impending year.

These same ladies would later write their names on papers and place them in an urn. The eligible men would then literally draw a mate or date for the evening. These drawings didn’t always end in life long partnerships, but many did end up that way. You could say these tiny pieces of paper with names were the earliest form of Valentine’s Day card.

Later Christianity abandoned this festival and the act of drawing names for match-ups when it was banned by the pope for being inappropriate. However it’s easier to transform and give a new name to a holiday than to enforce a ban. Valentine’s Day was given the name we know today and a romantic story to accompany it.

The story states that the roman emperor banned marriage in an attempt to reinforce the militaries size, and a man named Saint Valentine rebelled, marrying couples secretly. Valentine made the ultimate sacrifice for love, literally, the emperor had him executed. Conveniently, Valentine supposedly met this selfless end on February 14th just one day before the original fertility festival was held. http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day

In either origin, Valentine’s Day is a day for romance and to celebrate love in the face of even death. We give gifts to display this love. The practice may have originated when a prisoner who couldn’t be with his wife on Valentine’s Day sent her a token of his love instead. After all, if you can’t be there in the flesh a token of love is the next best thing. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090211-valentines-day-gifts-history.html

So, how do you buy a gift for your wife this Valentine’s Day?

First, when buying a great Valentine’s Day gift for your wife, make sure your gift is personal. Giving a Valentine’s Day gift is not just a mandatory process that you should feel obligated to carry through to avoid your wife’s nagging each year. Don’t just buy her a box of chocolates, a hand full of over priced roses, or a card that Hallmark wrote beautifully. If that’s your game plan you might as well just hand her the cash you would spend or keep it in your bank account, you’d both likely get more use from it that way.

Instead find a gift for your wife that says, “I know you better than anyone else in the universe, and I love you.” What’s her favorite color? Scent? Movie? Hobby? Place? Food? All the little things you know about her can be effectively turned into an unforgettable gift. Picture her in your mind and just go walking the stores, chances are something will scream at you from the shelf.

Planning ahead is also a step few husband’s take. You can help show that you remembered without being reminded by getting a gift that takes time to acquire. Maybe consider ordering something from another country like some sexy French lingerie.

Next know that the gift doesn’t have to cost much. Price tag does not equate to the value of your love. This is not to say that money is no object. Studies show that the average American spends over one hundred dollars each year on gifts, and that’s just not necessary to give a great gift. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090211-valentines-day-gifts-history_2.html When giving a gift to your wife, you should pay less attention to price, more attention to the real value of the gift.

• You could buy ingredients to make her favorite meal or dessert. For instance, a Couer a la Creme is a sweet cheese dessert that looks great and doesn't require any baking. A man that cooks is always nice.

• You could buy small items to combine into one single gift like a picnic at the beach kit or a basket filled with trinkets that will remind her of all the wonderful experiences you’ve had as a couple. You could even just buy something you really know she’ll enjoy. If that item happens to be expensive that’s okay too as long as you chose it for a reason and not just to give a gift.

To sum it up, the point is it’s not the price tag that matters, your gift to her should be a representation of your love in token form.

Also keep in mind that while practical is wonderful, items like a new broom or vacuum may not be a big hit. Try to get her a gift she’ll enjoy and use.

Finally, to seal the deal and gain major brownie points with your wife, you need to give it to her, the gift that is. The way you chose to give your wife your Valentine’s Day gift can be made almost as special as the gift itself.

Be sure to make Valentine’s Day about just you and her. No kids, no friends, no relatives, just you and her. Romance takes two, not a crowd. Plan a day that the two of you will particularly enjoy. Try to make the entire day special and irregular from your everyday routine and think romantic. Perhaps do something the two of you normally wouldn’t get the chance to do, but remember to keep her desires in mind. Choose activities for the day that she will enjoy. Love is often selfless and fun to a woman is not always the same as fun to a man.

No one can write a guide to instruct you how to sweep your wife off her feet with a gift and romantic evening, but if you made it to “I do” you likely know how already. If you just follow your instinct and let your heart guide your way the day will be perfect either way. Think of these three simple steps more of tips to help you remember how you wooed her to begin with.