Valentine's Day: History, gift ideas & more.

Some love it, others find it too commercial: Valentine's Day. Every year on February 14th, lovers around the world exchange flowers, chocolates, and other small gifts. They write love letters and go out for a nice meal. No other day of the year celebrates love quite like Valentine's Day. ❤️

Whether you like Valentine's Day or not, February 14th has long since become firmly established in our society. And especially in times when the global political situation can be depressing, we should celebrate love and connection with other people all the more! 🥰

But where do the historical roots of Valentine's Day actually lie, and what does a beheading have to do with the history of the day of love? What are the classic Valentine's Day gifts, and what other special gift ideas are there for men and women? We've summarized all of this for you clearly in this article.

Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day?

The name Valentine's Day likely comes from Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers . He lived in Rome in the 3rd century and married couples according to Christian tradition. These marriages were meant to be especially blessed. Valentine also gave the couples flowers from his garden. 💐 This is probably one reason why flowers are still the most popular Valentine's Day gift today.

Unfortunately, Valentine's story ends rather unromantically: Since Emperor Claudius II had forbidden Christian marriages, tradition holds that he ordered Valentine's beheading on February 14, 269. Valentine's Day is still celebrated on this date in his honor.

Since when has Valentine's Day been celebrated?

However, after Valentine's death, it took another 200 years until Pope Gelasius I instituted the feast day of Saint Valentine in 469. In 1969, however, the day was removed from the church calendar again due to a lack of evidence.

Despite its historical significance, the Valentine's Day tradition has persisted over time. Valentine's Day has been celebrated in England since the late 14th century, where couples exchanged small gifts. English immigrants brought this custom to the USA, and it eventually reached Germany during World War II via American soldiers. In Germany, Valentine's Day initially spread throughout the west. For example, the first Valentine's Day ball took place in Nuremberg in 1950. Gradually, Valentine's Day became known throughout Germany and has been celebrated by couples every year on February 14th ever since.

Typical Valentine's Day gifts

Flower shops are extremely busy on Valentine's Day. No wonder, since according to a Statista survey, flowers are the most popular Valentine's Day gift, accounting for 27% of all requests . 🌹 But perfume, jewelry, cosmetics, and restaurant outings are also very popular in Germany when it comes to Valentine's Day gifts.

Unique gift ideas for Valentine's Day

As beautiful as a bouquet of red roses is, sometimes you're looking for a truly special Valentine's Day gift for your partner . 🎁 A gift for the day of love doesn't always have to be expensive – there are plenty of lovely gift ideas that don't cost much. We've put together a few Valentine's Day gift ideas for men and women to inspire you.

4 Valentine's Day gifts for men

Are you looking for Valentine's Day gift ideas for your husband or boyfriend? Here are a few ideas for beautiful and unusual Valentine's Day gifts for men.

1. Rustic & nostalgic: Garden shelf made from onion sieves
   Does your partner love gardening? Then they'll love our rustic garden shelf made from onion sieves! These sieves were originally used to store onions, fruits, and vegetables. We've repurposed them so they can now add a touch of nostalgia to your balcony, garden, or kitchen. They're ideal for storing gardening tools, herb pots, and much more.
   For the garden shelf made from onion sieves
   
   
2. Bee-friendly seed bombs: For a buzzing future
   This sustainable Valentine's Day gift is all about flowers and bees. 🐝 The jute bag contains three seed bombs with bee-friendly seeds. Simply scatter them in your garden, water them, and soon you'll be enjoying a colorful wildflower meadow and happy bees. And the best part: 5% of the proceeds from every product sold in the Bee Wellbeing series go to a donation fund that we use to plant wildflower meadows in our hometown of Nordhorn. Because you can never do enough for our buzzing friends.
   Bee-friendly seed bombs
   
   
3. Don't worry, bee happy: wild bee hotel
   A beautiful and sustainable Valentine's Day gift for your partner is a wild bee hotel. 🐝 This way, you can not only make them happy but also ensure that countless wild bees find a safe haven. We promise: It's so fascinating to watch these industrious little creatures at work!
   To the wild bee hotel
   
   
4. Spicy Valentine's Day gift: Chili growing kit "Fireflame"
   Does your partner love spicy food? 🌶️ Then this chili growing kit is the perfect Valentine's Day gift. The mini garden contains everything needed to grow these hot peppers: potting soil, high-quality seeds, and a suitable planting stick. The waterproof bag can be used directly as a seedling pot. Thanks to the detailed planting instructions, the kit is also suitable for novice gardeners.
   To the mini chili garden

4 Valentine's Day gifts for women

Looking for a special Valentine's Day gift for your wife or girlfriend and need some inspiration? Here are our Valentine's Day gift ideas for women .

1. Favorite person: A bouquet of flowers with a twist
   What better gift for your loved one than our "Favorite Person" ? 💖 These dried flowers in a glass jar are a special and, above all, long-lasting alternative to a classic bouquet. With this romantic gift, you can show your sweetheart how much she means to you on Valentine's Day. Another advantage: "Favorite Person" fits perfectly in any handbag or backpack and can be taken anywhere.
   To my favorite person
   
   
2. A Valentine's Day card from which flowers grow
   This Valentine's Day card is truly special, because beautiful wildflowers will grow right out of it! 🌸 Simply peel the seed paper marker from the card, place it on the soil, and water it regularly – and soon a small, colorful wildflower meadow will bloom. A little dose of love to plant and a Valentine's Day gift your loved one will cherish for years to come! 🫶
   Greeting card "Mouse with heart"
   Valentine's Day card "Let love grow"
   Greeting card "Bouquet of Flowers"
3. For plants or decoration: Rustic brick mold
   How about a vintage-style brick mold as a Valentine's Day gift for your loved one? These brick molds are handcrafted from reclaimed wood from orchards – making each one unique and giving it its own individual look. Available in various sizes, they can be used in a variety of ways: as a decorative box, for storing spices or treasures, or even as a planter.
   Regarding the brick shapes
   
   
4. Wish Granter: A jar full of wishes for Valentine's Day
   Dandelions have always symbolized good wishes and evoke memories of carefree childhood days when we blew the little parachutes of these fluffy flowers into the wind and made a wish. With this hand-picked dandelion in a glass, you can give your wife or girlfriend many loving wishes for your future together this Valentine's Day. 🥰
   To the wish fulfiller

Valentine's Day gifts: Give with lots of love

So you see, Valentine's Day gifts don't always have to be the classics like roses, chocolate, or jewelry. With our sustainable gift ideas for men and women, you're not only doing something good for your sweetheart, but also for the environment. 💚 Whether it's seed bombs, growing Valentine's Day cards, a bee hotel, or a brick mold made from reclaimed wood – these Valentine's Day gifts are something truly unique and yet still come from the heart.

We wish you a happy Valentine's Day with your loved one! ❤️

Here's what our customers say

Claudi (April 25, 2022)

There were so many different seeds! I have a wonderful wildflower meadow, and whenever one variety starts to fade, a new one with a different color appears. Not only do I enjoy this, but so do the bees, bumblebees, and other insects that diligently visit my meadow. I think it's fantastic and will definitely order these seeds again next year.

Törtel (17.03.2021)

SUPER DECORATION FOR EASTER TOP - after Easter it should become a small herb garden with decoration.

Jana (June 25, 2023)

A great gift with a sustainable aspect. I ordered the marbles to give as party favors at my child's birthday party. Since I don't need all 10 bags for that, I've already given some away to both adults and children, and everyone loved them.

Claudia (20.12.2023)

The question is: will my husband get the 4-pack and the 6-pack for Christmas? Or which ones should I keep for myself? My daughter saw them and wants one too... And the fact that such "old boxes" were packed so carefully and lovingly that opening the packages is a joy – thank you, city gardeners!

Lillianengel (14.02.2022)

I don't usually write reviews, but in this case, I simply have to. The little wish-granter is such a sweet and lovely product. Beautifully packaged and lovingly labeled. Simply wonderful! Thank you so much!

Claudia (21.12.2023)

That's such a cute idea, it was really well received!!! Thank you. :)

Katharina (21.12.2023)

I stumbled across the urban gardeners by chance and was very interested in their offerings. They're so lovingly and uniquely presented. As a test, I ordered two wish-granting items. They arrived promptly and are simply adorable! A wonderful little gift with good vibes... and no, I'm not an ESO fan 😉.

Saskia (28.12.2022)

So the "meadow" unfortunately gets quite high, but it's nice to look at :)

AL (15.07.2019)

Fast shipping in good, secure packaging. We've already sown the mixtures... now we need patience. But I'm confident the first green shoots are already poking out of the ground ;-)

Tanja (October 3, 2023)

I've already scattered lots of seed bombs in my own garden, but I've also secretly thrown them into other people's dreary gardens or given them away. Even in other people's gardens, they seem to be tolerated and people like the mix. I haven't seen anyone remove the plants yet 😉 Children also love them, so I hand them out at schools too. I'll buy the next big pack at the beginning of February and I'm really looking forward to distributing them and, of course, to my own garden. Best, Tanja