A History of Birthday Gift Giving - And a Couple of Ideas

No matter what age, everyone enjoys a little special attention on their special day – their birthday! Typically, it calls for a celebration complete with balloons, a cake, and gifts from family and close friends. While we engage in these birthday festivities, do we ever stop to think where the traditions really began?

The first known birthday celebrations began among the Egyptians with parades, circuses, and gladiatorial events – all complete with feasts that sometimes lasted for days.  Romans celebrated the birthdays of their gods with parades and chariot races.  Mortals were not encouraged to celebrate their birthdays in Rome.  Germany introduced the tradition of birthday cakes about 200 years ago.  The cake itself was filled with gifts that predicted the recipient’s life in the upcoming year.  For example, if the slice of cake contained a ring, it symbolized impending marriage.  A coin guaranteed riches throughout the next year.  If the cake fell while baking, it ensured impending doom to the one celebrating a birthday.  Today, various countries celebrate birthdays in unique ways.

In the United States, the traditional birthday ritual calls for giving gifts to the one celebrating his special day.  Selecting the “right” gift depends on the individual, his interests, and how well you know him.  Instead of purchasing the “same old” thing, add a unique twist to your birthday gift selections this year and watch out for the positive feedback!

• From a family tree planner to a family history wall print, a gift of genealogy is a great pick for assisting the recipient learn about his family heritage and get back to his roots.  As some of us get older this becomes a very special gift.
• Create a scrapbook of special moments throughout the past year.  Include photos from family events and keepsakes that are important to the event.  Recapture these moments by journaling the story of the event and quotes from participants.  Embellish the pages with stickers, captions, and other items that will enhance the memories for a long time to come. This is for the more "crafty" of us but can be a special gift that will always create a memory.
• Choose a selection of classic books to either add to or start a collection. Several choices to get you started include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Canterbury Tales, Wurthering Heights, Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Letter, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Great Expectations, Tom Sawyer, and The Catcher in the Rye.  A personal favorite of mine is About A Boy
• For a woman choose from several great Spa Gift Baskets from Eclipse Spa's.  Yes, this is something we carry - trust me - they make an awesome gift.
• Purchase baskets from garage sales and gift shops.  Fill them with homemade or gourmet jars of pickles, jams, food mixes, and/or fruit.  Again for the more crafty of us but substitute the homemade pickles and jams etc with other items that fit the person that you are giving the gift to.

No matter what the occasion, pay attention to what the gift receivers interests, likes and dislikes are  - people are always telling us what they want.  We just have to listen!