Why are Chocolates, Flowers, and Diamonds the Universal sign of Love?

Many times I’ve asked myself questions like, why do so many women aspire to marry? Why are we so caught up in the style of diamond ring we receive? Why are some of us so concerned about getting flowers, despite the fact that they don’t last?
Now don’t get me wrong my love language is receiving gifts (and I adore even non materialistic ones as well) so I am just as focused on the similar things.

I’ve fantasized about my wedding day, I’ve thought about the theme and who I would invite. I’ve considered only having three bridesmaids or even no bridesmaids, and how the dress would be like. I thought about kids and the life we would build together, I’ve thought about all of it.

I’m sure many of us have because we’re practically conditioned to think that way. Our associations with love takes on it’s own meaning, for example… flowers! I love a good bouquet of roses, tulips, hydrangeas or even an orchid. I love being sent flowers from a company like 1-800-flowers, opening their packages and just feeling loved. The flowers that reside at Trader Joe’s get happy seeing me, because they all know they’re going to be picked and displayed in my home - just because.

But why is it during a special occasion or even specifically Valentine’s Day we associate flowers to someone’s love and appreciation for us? Although flowers seem like they shouldn’t carry so much symbolism, flowers indeed have deep meaning. “They even play a large role in William Shakespeare’s works. Mythologies, folklore, sonnets, and plays of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Chinese are peppered with flower and plant symbolism.” Even though they may play a short role on this earth before dissipating, they are worth someone’s while.

Did you know Feb 1, 2021 is National Chocolate Day? Yeah, I didn’t realize there was such a thing either! But it makes sense right?! I would say so, considering the fact that if you acknowledge Valentine’s Day as one of those major consumer holidays. You’d realize (in the moment) that life is indeed like a box of chocolates. “Turns out, 58 million pounds of chocolate is purchased in the seven days leading up to Feb. 14. Chocolate is just one part of big Valentine’s Day sales. The National Retail Foundation expected in 2020 that Americans would shell out $27.4 billion in February (an average of $196.31 per person) on gifts for loved ones. It was also expected that about $2.4 billion of that big spending would go towards candy. The rest would go towards other romantic gifts, such as jewelry, an evening out at one of the most romantic restaurants.”

I’d be remiss if I failed to mention diamonds! We all know the phrases “diamond’s are a girl’s best friend”, “diamonds are forever”, and “no pressure, no diamonds”. Having experience working in the diamond industry in the past, I’ve acknowledged the beauty in gemstones and diamonds. But if you don’t know already “diamonds are intrinsically worthless”. So why are we so obsessed with them?
I guess the same question could apply to when you finance a luxury car, it’s new current make and model, with all the bells and whistles. You’re fully aware that when you drive it off the lot, it depreciates in value and yet we still subscribe to the big purchase anyway.

So why is it that we buy into these things so much? Is it truly for ourselves or for others to validate what we’re receiving from someone we love? Or are we defining our worth on material things?

Someone once told me the only thing that holds true value is the individual who moved mountains to gift you something from their heart. These paramount gestures are ways to express love without words. Nothing else really matters once you’ve put that into perspective.