As heart-shaped balloons fill the air and storefronts don roses and boxes of chocolates, lovers stroll hand-in-hand while exchanging knowing glances and whispers. It is during this season that the air brims with anticipation and the promise of love’s sweet expression.
Celebratory holidays like Valentine’s Day have become synonymous with extravagant gestures like giant teddy bears and colorful bouquets. But behind the gifts lingers an unspoken question: How much does love truly cost?
While many get swept up in the whirlwind of consumerism, some challenge this notion by looking beyond the price tag to express affection. Jane Gotera (III, BS-PSYC) takes on a fresh perspective, believing that love can manifest in life’s simplest moments rather than material gifts. “Spending time with one another, constantly checking in about their wellbeing and overall disposition, [and] sharing a good meal” are only among multiple mundane manifestations of love.
The cost of Cupid
The pressure to buy costly presents—from bouquets to jewelry—has turned love into a showcase of one’s spending power rather than genuine affection. This shift has created a mental dilemma, particularly for students who struggle to meet societal expectations while dealing with financial constraints.
As Gotera puts it, “Estudyante pa lang naman tayo so wala pa[ng] gaanong means to purchase ‘yung mga mamahaling regalo.” With a limited budget, she turns to other ways to express affection. “I [do so by] making them their favorite tea, conversing with them, and asking them how they have been,” she smiles, highlighting how love need not dangle a price tag.
(We are still students, so we don’t have the means to purchase expensive gifts.)
The effort and thought behind a gift make it special. Sisley Sanares (I, AB-PSM) proves this as she puts deep significance on making handmade gifts, a hobby she was naturally drawn to since taking a great interest in the arts and crafts. “It’s not manufactured or like anyone can buy it in the store…you made it,” Sanares emphasizes.
For many, the materialism of Valentine’s Day contradicts the true essence of love, which is about connection, understanding, and shared experiences. In embracing handmade and thoughtful gifts, people challenge the idea that love must come at a hefty cost–proving that the most meaningful gestures don’t have to be the most expensive.
Through the language of gestures
Apart from lavish gifts, many still find love in the smallest, most unassuming gestures. Gotera recognizes that many feel compelled to express love through material gifts, but she firmly believes that meaningful actions and personal connections defeat the pressure to spend. Sanares also agrees that acts of love weren’t meant to be magnified by grand displays alone. Rather, they thrive in the creases of heartfelt letters or even the delicate folds of origami roses. Each creation is imbued with both time and thought of the person she dedicates these crafts for.
Similarly, for Allyssa Ramos, a student from Far Eastern University Institute of Technology, love is painted with the intention behind a gesture rather than its material worth. Despite never being keen on giving or receiving gifts, she was awestruck by the depth that a simple birthday surprise could hide. Marked by cake frosting and carefully chosen trinkets, the moment was made meaningful by the fact that Ramos’ friends had pooled together to get him these. “It’s not a lot for most people but…[it] stood out to me a lot,” he fondly remarks.
While love can be encapsulated in these thoughtful gifts, it is also shown in gestures that cost little but are just as meaningful. Sanares believes that learning so-called love languages offers a more personalized avenue to give and receive affection. As she details her encounters with each love language, Sanares reflects on how love is an amalgam of repeated time, effort, and thought. Likewise, it is in these acts that love is expressed in its most authentic form, where sincerity and intention hold more weight than the expenses incurred. Ramos remarks, “At the end, it’s not about the [gift]—it’s about the [people] giving it and receiving it.”
Reframing heart’s day
Every day presents an opportunity to show affection for loved ones. But special occasions like holidays, birthdays, and the recent Valentine’s Day, make the act of showering them with devotion all the more special. Whether it be through gift-giving or any other love language, the impulse to physically manifest these emotions is a universal tradition. However, alongside these sincere actions, there is value in reframing these celebrations outside the influence of capitalistic and societal expectations.
At its core, love is an intimate experience. For Ramos, personalization is a key ingredient in expressing love. While corporations have marketed Valentine’s gifts as necessities, he finds the personal aspect of gift-giving as a reminder of the holiday’s true essence. “Personalization is the one thing I value when it comes to finding a way to express my love…I know that flowers, chocolates, letters, and stuffed animals are usually what people buy during Valentine’s [Day], but I feel like there is no actual meaning to it when it’s just any type. It’s so much more different when you buy or do things with purpose. The way you express how much they matter to you [your person], would mean a lot if you take deep consideration on the person you would want to express your love to,” he argues. Sanares echoes this sentiment: “To think that you really put in the effort and the time…it’s just one of a kind.”
In redefining Valentine’s Day—or any celebration—we reaffirm that love is ultimately about sincerity and intentionality. While grand gifts and gestures can be meaningful, the true essence of love lies in thoughtfulness and “reaching [emotional] depths material things cannot express,” Gotera advises. “Love people the way you’ve learned how they wanted to be loved.” This perspective allows us to move beyond existing templates to create something new. Simple choices in reshaping traditions can carry more meaning than routine gestures, as love flourishes when nurtured with purpose rather than performed out of demonstration.
“To be loved is to be known” is a sentiment often shared online, but it speaks to the profound human desire to be seen beyond the surface of flesh and matter. When loved ones express their care through personalized gestures, it affirms the recipient’s significance while also revealing aspects of themselves they may not have recognized. In this way, love becomes both a mirror and a guide, reflecting who we are and who we can become, not only for the receiver but also for the person brave enough to express it.
By challenging ourselves to create unique and meaningful memories, we reframe these traditions into intimate acts of self-expression. Once that happens, the anxiety of obligation withers and we learn to center how we love and who we truly love in these special moments.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s Menagerie Special 2025. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSMenagerieSpecial2025.
