Gift Ideas - Wedding, Birthday, Holiday, Anniversary

Come February and there is an unmistakable fragrance in the air; and it is, undoubtedly, the fragrance of love. Young lovers all over the world, oblivious of the history of Valentine’s Day, send chocolates, flowers and cards to each other to express the most pristine of human emotions. So overjoyed are they to find an occasion to express their emotions openly, that studying the reasons behind the celebration of this festival seems an absolute waste of time. The essence of this festival lies in the free expression of love; and lovers surely do full justice to it.

 
However, for those who are truly interested in knowing the history of this day, I present a brief account of it. To begin with, according to the most popular legend, Valentine’s Day derives its name from a saint St.Valentine, who lived in Rome in the third century. In defiance of the orders of Emperor Claudius II, who outlawed marriage for young men, St. Valentine performed marriages for young lovers. This invited the wrath of the emperor who condemned St. Valentine to be put to death. Hence, according to this legend, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the memory of this martyr who died for the cause of love.  Another story related to this legend claims that St. Valentine was himself in love with the daughter of the jailor and wrote a love letter to her in which he addressed himself as “…your Valentine”. This accounts for the popularity of this expression in present times. 

 
The above legend is Christian in its origin. There is an alternate legend related to Valentine’s Day that has its origins in pagan roman traditions. In Rome, February was marked by celebrations of the spring festival. During the festival, a special event known as the feast of Lupercalia was celebrated on the 15^th of February. This day was celebrated as a fertility festival and was dedicated to the Faunus, the God of Agriculture in Roman mythology. During the celebrations of the festival, the unmarried girls would place their names in a big urn and the young men would choose a name out of the urn to be paired with that girl for that year. These pairings often culminated in marriage.

 
There are various others reasons for believing that this day and month, are surely the most appropriate to be chosen for a celebration of love. It is believed that February is the month for the beginning of birds’ mating season. So, if the animal kingdom celebrates this season as one of love and companionship, can humans be left far behind?

 
Celebrated the world over in varied cultures and traditions, Valentine’s Day is a perfect reinstatement of the fact that humankind has not lost hope in the power of love and its ability to transform lives.

Times have changed. With the changing times, there is a dramatic transformation in the world around us. A lot of values and objects we attached significance to have crumbled or vanished and new ethics and institutions have taken their place. The flexibility and amenability of human nature is evident in the way all of us have adjusted to the changing times. But perhaps, all of us adjust to new things because we are certain that some things will never change. So, whenever we feel lost in the new world, we hold on to the permanence of the few things that stay just as they are to help us drift through the turbulent tides.

These permanent things that we hold on to are usually an intrinsic part of our culture, religion or tradition. The fact that we still believe in certain values that our forefathers instilled in us gives us peace and contentment in the fast changing world of today. When we talk of one of the oldest tradition that is part of almost very culture around the world, what comes first to the mind is the eminence given to nature and especially to Flowers. Flowers enjoy an enviable position of prominence in all cultures around the world. Many among us will perhaps be surprised to know that the significance of flowers has carried on from the Middle Ages when flowers were considered to be a prerequisite of a lengthy love affair.

There are umpteen references to many flowers in the Bible and flowers were believed to have curative powers which were sometimes interpreted as magical. The importance of flowers became so pronounced in the Victorian era that people paid more attention to the scent of the flower they were carrying than the clothes they were wearing. Each flower had a symbolic significance and people used this fact to convey their heartfelt emotions to their loved ones. In the Roman culture, it was believed that white roses grew where the tears of Venus fell. In China, it is believed that a Chrysanthemum that has been used to wipe one’s mouth after a drink of wine should be given to a beloved as a sign of undying love and devotion.   
It is indeed amazing that floral gifts remain the most favorite gifting item in almost all countries around the world. Isn’t that strange, considering the plethora of gifts available in the market for all occasions? In my opinion, love for flowers in a world so wrought with materialism is mankind’s way of telling each other that we all still believe strongly in our basic values.  

Often the most ignored, our elderly relatives do not get the attention they deserve at festivals and special occasions. Whenever we have to buy gifts for our loved ones, the names of the elderly in the family often lag behind in the list. We often forget the contribution of our grandparents in bringing happiness and cheer to our childhood days. Even though we may all be a little forgetful, our memories of our childhood are filled with the story telling sessions by our grandparents that we all looked forward to. And contrary to our preferences, our names figured high up in the list of our grandparents when it came to buying us gifts for special occasions.

There is absolutely no need to hang our heads down in shame for we can comfortably be termed callous in this respect. There is always time to make up for our mistakes. All of us can bring cheer in the lives of our elderly by making them feel really important in the coming times. When you buy gifts for the elderly, make sure that your gifts are of utility to them. Even though flowers and chocolates are as welcome to the elderly, it will surely be a more thoughtful gesture if you buy them a gift that they can be put to good use by them in their advancing years. You can also gift them something that keeps them entertained or occupied as old age can sometimes make the elderly feel lonely or isolated.    

There are large varieties of gifts for elderly available in the market. You can choose among gifts, depending on the specific needs of the elderly in your family, such as a Big Button Photo phone for the forgetful seniors, simple TV remote for seniors, pill or medicine organizer with timer box, reminiscing games for seniors, reclining chairs, folding walking stick bag, garden tools, neck cord, magnifying glass and non skid socks with grippers at the bottom.
 

When you are sure that your granddad will be happier if you have kept his sweet tooth in mind when picking a gift for him, send a basket full of gourmet delights. If you are a trifle worried about his health, send him a basket full of fresh fruits and fruit juices. He is sure to relish the juicy, tasty fruits of the season. You can also arrange ready to eat, healthy meals for your elderly. They will surely be happy to be let off from cooking for a day or so.

These gift ideas should surely help you pick something useful for the elderly in the family, this season. Make sure that like everyone else in your family, the elderly too figure on the top of your priority list, when it comes to giving happiness.  

 
Another wonderful year has come to an end and all of us are eagerly awaiting the advent of the New Year that shall bring tidings of happiness and joy from our loved ones. Just the way we look forward to the greetings and wishes of our loved ones, our loved ones, too, look forward to receiving our love in the form of delightful gifts. Thanks to the advent in technology, we can now send our greetings to our loved ones anywhere in the world. One can chose from a wide variety of delectable items to convey the warmest wishes of the season to his loved ones. Since times immemorial, in many cultures around the world such as the Roman, auspicious gifts were exchanged on New Year. The Romans gifted objects such as branches of sacred trees, gilded nuts and coins bearing the imprint of Janus, the God with two faces to whom January was sacred. 

New Year is the perfect time to revive old ties and pamper the present bonds with beautiful gifts. Do not be misled into believing that your loved ones will only be delighted to receive expensive and ostentatious gifts. Personal gifts that are selected with a lot of care are much more valuable than flashy gifts that may only provide a transient pleasure. Gifts with a personal touch last much longer, especially in the memories of the recipients who will always remember your gesture with fondness.

 
When you are buying a New Year gift for the young ones in the family, buy something that can serve as an inspiration for them. You can choose an appropriate gift that suits their situation at the present moment. It could be anything from books to educational video Cds. Similarly, you can buy utility items for the elders depending on their specific need. These gifts exhibit that you have taken pains in selecting a gift for your loved ones and that you have utmost regard for their feelings.    

 
In case you have nothing specific in mind, then Cakes, chocolates and flowers remain the top three favorite gifts for New Year. However, the monotony of these three gifts is a thing of the past because of the mind-boggling variety of cakes, chocolates and floral gifts available in the market. You can even employ your own creative instincts to make the gift look extra-special. For instance, you can decorate the gift with laces, ribbons and colorful or even fragrant papers. Other than the top three favorite gifts mentioned above, you may also gift generic gifts such as scented candles, wine, champagne and gourmet baskets that can be gifted to almost everyone.

 
Whatever the gift you choose for your loved ones, they are a reminder to your loved ones that you always wish prosperity and joy for your near and dear ones. 

Easter, the holiest of the Christian holidays, is symbolic of the immortality of the divine. Celebrated with great gusto, Easter is a springtime festival that brings the message of undying hope and optimism. Like every other festival, Easter holds a special attraction for the children as they love to receive gifts from their elders and exchange lovely little gifts amongst their friends. Not to be left behind, the elders also exhibit a spirit of celebration. Since no festival is complete without the ritualistic exchange of gifts, the approach of Easter coincides with the spurt in the availability of unique Easter gift items in the market. The diversity of the gift items available is indeed mind boggling for the buyer but they definitely add a special charm to the festival.

When one looks at the different kinds of Easter gifts available in the market, one cannot help but admire the immense creativity of the people who design these gifts. Gone are the days when people used to gift plain Easter eggs to each other. Now one can choose from a wide variety of Easter eggs that includes musical eggs, chocolate eggs, Easter egg bunnies, Easter egg chocolate cakes and many more different varieties of Easter eggs. Beautifully packaged, these Easter eggs make wonderful gifts as they combine traditionalism with modernity. Being the traditional Easter gifts, Ester eggs remain a favorite Easter gift for all and therefore the wide variety in Easter eggs available have only resulted in them remaining the most popular Easter gift to be exchanged among people. 

There are many other Easter gift ideas that one may make use of. Easter gift baskets that include chocolates, Easter eggs and other gourmet delights are also a popular Easter gift idea. You can personalize these gift baskets to make the recipient feel extra special. Some people also like to gift bouquets of fresh seasonal flowers on Easter. The fragrance and the vibrant hues of spring flowers are a reminder of the fact that nature too seems to be celebrating Easter. Candy eggs jars, a bottle of wine, chocolate cakes, assorted cookies and packets of gourmet delights are other popular Easter gifts.
Even though the gift you choose for your loved ones has a lot of importance attached to it, what is more important is the celebration of the spirit of this festival that the gift truly signifies. Let us never forget the words of the great man who encapsulates the spirit of Easter in these immortal words
“If Easter says anything to us today, it says this: You can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise!”
Clarence W. Hall