Valentine’s Day as we all know is a day that is set aside to celebrate love and affection between people, be it your boyfriend, girlfriend, mother, sister, brother, friend, or even your co-workers. And you do not have to be in a relationship to celebrate valentine’s day as you can celebrate it with friends and family or by yourself.
One of the beautiful things about valentine’s day are the gifts. Gifts are a perfect way to express one’s love and affections without words most times.
There are varieties of gifts that are perfect for valentine’s day, from fresh flowers which are the most popular gifts for valentine, to chocolate, to wine, to gift set, to perfume.
Any of these are guaranteed to put a smile on your loved ones face.
In past years, most men do get boxers and singlets on valentine’s day while the rest don’t get anything at all, But we all know and can confirm that men give more gifts on valentine’s day than women does
And there has been a debate on this for long that men need to be given more valuable gifts as much as they give, than getting boxers and singlets almost every year.
We spoke to a few men in Nigeria about their first time receiving flowers as gifts on valentine’s day, because fresh flowers are the most popular and most thoughtful gift to give anyone. and these is what they had to say.
DANIEL 28, LAGOS
I’m not a very romantic person when it comes to gifts, so I try not to be in a situation where I get to receive gifts except when it’s important. I just don’t know how to explain it, but receiving gifts unexpectedly gives me some kind of panic.
Late last year, I met this pretty amazing girl. Her name was Michel, things got really fast and interesting that we couldn’t stay away from each other. Then we decided to move to the next level and It was going smoothly.
She started getting me gifts. I didn’t complain at first because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Then one day I told her the reason why I don’t really like receiving gifts, after some back and forth, she agreed to stop getting me gifts regularly.
On Valentine’s Day, I was having a bad day. The long traffic I faced before getting to work that day was terrible and I almost missed a meeting with an important client which made my bosses angry at me. I was just dragging myself throughout that day, just wanting to get home to rest.
Closed from work late that day, and I forgot it was valentine’s day to get Michel a gift,
When I got home, I walked into the bedroom and saw a bouquet of red roses and a black box on the bed with a red ribbon and a note beside it.
I smiled when I picked the flowers and they immediately melted my heart because I never imagined that I would be getting flowers
And I opened the box. It had my favorite wine in it and a perfume with a black leather wallet.
I sat on the edge of the bed and opened the note. It was one of the coolest things anyone had ever said to me, it stated
“Hey baby, hope this makes you smile and soften your hard guy heart a little bit. I love you now and always. Thank you for doing this with me. Happy valentine’s Day my love”
I immediately picked my phone and called her to thank her because that made me happier and I was glad she sent me that and the message was so thoughtful.
That evening, I drove out to look for a gift to get for her and took her out for a fancy dinner at one of her favorite restaurant in Lekki 1
DAMI 30, LAGOS
It was Valentine’s Day, and it was a Monday. Mondays are always filled with long Zoom meetings and emails. Valentine’s Day added to the annoyance of this particular Monday.
I just recently became a single man,so I wasn’t thrilled because I didn’t have a girlfriend with whom to express my feelings or exchange gifts. I’ve never received a Valentine’s Day gift before.
My day was going stressfully as I expected. from one zoom meeting to another while still replying to emails. I was working in the head office of one of the largest banks in Marina Lagos
Then I got a call that I had a package downstairs to be delivered to me. I had to ask the delivery guy to confirm if the package was for me because i didn’t place any order and i was very single so i wasn’t expecting any gift from any one,
He confirmed that the package was for me and I told him to wait for me at the reception.
He came to the front desk and i saw a bottle of wine and a box of chocolate with a stem of white rose and he said “these are for you sir”
If it wasn’t my full name and details on the card, I would have not believed they were mine. It came with a note that said
“HAPPY VALENTINE MY GUY, THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF MY PREVIOUS YEAR, IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME……. EFEMENA”
It came from my friend, the gesture made my entire week and now i go out of my way to be that sweet to my friends too.
EBUKA 33, LAGOS
The first and only time I got flowers was last year’s valentines day. And it was by mistake from a stranger
I was in one of our branches in Ikeja that morning and it was valentines day, so the atmosphere was filled with love and laughter.
Naturally, I am a very jovial person. Known to be alway happy, so on that day I was very happy because of the public show of love of my colleagues from their spouses or dates.
I was going from one desk to another, cheering people that got gifts and eating out of their cake or chocolate. I love cakes
That afternoon, I was working on some documents on my system when I got a call that I had a package that I should come down to pick up. I happily rushed down but he was not in the building.
I called him back, he was somewhere in Obanikoro and I gave him my address and I went upstairs to wait. I started thinking about what the gift might be and who must have sent it.
When the rider arrived, he called me to come down to pick up. I went down to meet him and to my surprise they were red roses and red velvet cupcakes.
I was shocked, took it up to my office and my co-workers were all smiling at me as I walked to my office.
I got into my office and I immediately called my girlfriend because the message stated “From your love. I will love you forever “, but she said it wasn’t from her and that she can’t send me flowers because flowers are for women. She even made fun of me wanting flowers as a valentine gift.
Luckily for me, I haven’t opened the cake or started eating it.
After speaking to my girlfriend, I did a little thinking of who must have sent me flowers and called me my love, I wasn’t getting any clue.
I called the rider, but he wasn’t picking, so I called the company where the flowers came from and I explained to them the situation.
I think they went through their document and found out it was a mistake. They apologized and said that they are going to send a rider to pick the package up, and I said no problem. I was so very happy that i havent started eating the cake because I would have had to pay for it.
I sat down waiting for the rider after the call because we had closed and i just reminisced on how i felt receiving a gift as i normally don’t get gifts from people and fresh flowers at that.
What I felt was shock mixed with happiness.
I went online to confirm if men receive flowers because I believe I will genuelly love to have that feeling again. I found out that it is normal for men to receive flowers too nowadays.
ABIDEEN 27, ABUJA
I got fresh flowers as a valentine gift for the first time from my dad last year. That was not my first time getting fresh flowers as a gift, but the ones from my dad made me feel different as I normally do when I get fresh flowers.
I was very close to my mum. I am the last child out of 3 boys and we don’t really get along, we fight more than communicate. Even with my dad.
I was different from them in all areas, what was fun for them was irritating to me and I was very strong headed on things I believed in and loved and they hated it.
It was just my mum that truly understands me, and we all got used to that pattern.
When my mum died, it was very difficult for me as no one to relate with and I became really angry with life, family and everyone that I had to change my environment.
I quit my job and moved to Abuja from Lagos. I moved in with a friend that stays at Aminu kano in Abuja and she was a therapist.
I explained everything to her honestly and truthfully the way it was and she helped me with a solution.
The relationship between me and my family became a little bit friendly and understanding, especially with my dad because I needed his support as I was job searching and needed cash.
On valentine’s day last year, i was on my way home from an interview and i was very tired when i got a call from a strange number, i didn’t pick because it was noisy outside and i was very very tired to talk to anyone.
Few minutes later, I got a text that he had a delivery for me, and I replied that he should wait for me because I was close to the house and there was no one to pickup on my behalf at that time.
I got to the gate and i called the delivery man that i was outside, i saw a man walking down with a box of white roses and tiny white flowers in it and i said to myself in my head “so beautiful”
But to my surprise, he walked up to me with the box of flowers, wine, chocolate and cupcakes and asked if I was “DEEN” and I said yes.
No one calls me Deen except my dad. Knowing who my dad is, fresh flowers is the last thing he would give to anyone because he sees them as a waste of money, that is why he never gave my late mum flowers.
He said these are for you, I paused for a bit to think who might have sent them before I asked who it was from, then he said they were from Mr Paul Adejohnson, I thanked him and went inside.
On my way to the room, I called my dad but he told me he was in a meeting and that he would call me as soon as he was done.
I opened the note inside the bag that had the chocolate and it stated “Deem my beloved, i know today is valentines day, but i just want to use this opportunity to tell you that i love you and i am always here for you when you need me. With love from your loving paa.”
I was quiet for a few minutes, reflecting on how we used to shout at each other and how we treated each other after the death of my mum and begin to regret some of my actions.
When my dad called back, I was already in tears. Before he could say anything, I started apologizing for being a strong headed child and thanked him for all the love and support.
He consoled me and assured me that all will be fine from then on and I asked him of my brothers.
I will say that was the start of a new true family relationship for us.
Let us hear it in the comment section your first time getting flowers.