As Valentine’s Day approaches, expectations of your significant other getting you the perfect gift rises. After centuries of evolution, Valentine’s Day’s main focus has turned away from plain love, and now has been dominated by the gift industry. The Glen Echo knows the struggles of finding the “perfect” gift, so we have made a curated list of the best and worst Valentine’s Day gifts as of 2023.

Before making this list I pondered the question, what makes the perfect gift? Webster’s dictionary defines the perfect gift as “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation that is lacking in nothing,” but that is a pretty broad term. Although the more basic gifts like roses, chocolates, and jewelry are more common as Valentine’s Day gifts, I believe your significant other is worth more than just taking the “easy way out”. The perfect gift should be something specific to your significant other that is filled with love, but most of all thought. 

Contradictory to our definition of the perfect gift, according to N.Y. Magazine, in the U.S. the #1 most popular gift given on the notorious day of love is money. The second most popular gift? Gift cards. While money or gift cards might be someone’s perfect gift, they certainly aren’t everyones. After surveying the halls of our very own high school, it was apparent that an item off your personal Amazon Wishlist was the most “wished” for gift this Valentine’s Day season. Already picked out and chosen just to your liking, the Amazon Wishlist is the “easy way out’s” better, more desirable twin. A close second is a romantic dinner at Roots, a popular steakhouse located in Ridgewood NJ. This five star rated eatery takes a spin on classic romantic dining with an exposed brick interior accented with craftsman style decor. Nothing says the perfect gift more than a thoughtful and amorous dinner in Ridgewood. If you are looking to do something small and low-cost, the Chick-Fil-A seasonal heart platter filled with their very popular nuggets or Chicken-Minis, is also a top three choice for best gift. Considering the nearest Chick-Fil-A is only 10 minutes away, there are no excuses for not at least surprising your significant other with good eats. Another example of a perfect gift with plenty of thought to give you bonus points with whoever is receiving the delicious food.

Although this year’s opportunity for getting the perfect Valentine’s Day gift has passed, preparation for next year should start now. Why wait? If you stick with the Glen Echo’s suggestions your significant other surely will stay with you until next February 14th.