Origin of Gift Giving

Haven't you ever stopped to think about the origin of gift giving ritual? While you may think that gift giving isn't really that big of a deal, there is a great deal of history behind this that most people don't even really think about. The term refers to an object given from one person to another person, with regards to increasing the amount of happiness in their life, or just decreasing the amount of sadness. This includes special days, special occasions, and just times when a person might need a lift.

Since the dawn of time people have been giving presents. People in early civilizations gave to their tribal leaders and each other to show loyalty and love. They used bark and wood from the trees, and reeds to fashion unique objects. The Roman practice of presenting the Emperor, and each other was with good luck tokens. They received presents in order to procure favor and to demonstrate allegiance, a practice still in place today. In Egypt, idols and pyramids were built to honor the pharaohs. In the medieval age, they were given to kings to gain personal favor or allegiance in a war. Most were silver and gold and jewels: chalices, medallions, statues, and other articles. They were also given to a beloved one or used as dowries for betrothals, which could include a herd of animals, or precious metals and jewelry.

Today we give for a myriad of reasons. Presents are given at cultural religious occasions for birthdays, holidays, farewells, good luck, to show love, to say thank you, to welcome, and "just because". We give presents to family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors and the selection may include jewelry, baskets, toys, clothes, certificates, flowers and plants. Sometimes they are intangible; children give their parents coupons for yard cleanup, dish washing, cleaning the house and other chores they might not ordinarily perform. Time is given to our family, friends, and neighbors when they need help. We volunteer our time to various charitable organizations and every so often, we give only because it is time to give a present to someone.

Receiving is part of this process and giving makes the giver feel good. Making someone else's life richer rewards the giver with a feeling of achievement and caring especially if the recipient shows gratitude and appreciation. Receiving is as important in this reciprocal practice as giving. This became big business in the United States along with the general trend toward a consumer economy. Some people wonder whether the emphasis on buying, shopping and getting brings more happiness or disappointment, especially to those who can afford very little.

It has symbolic meaning in nearly every culture from all corners of the globe for as long as mankind has existed. From the first time a father gave his child a carved doll to the gold ring given to a bride, gift giving symbolizes many things: love, respect, sympathy, flattery and appreciation. This has become a time-honored tradition that seems to become more deeply rooted with time. Over time, this wonderful tradition has grown more complicated and more stressful. Sometimes, the original purpose behind the tradition gets clouded, and it takes on a life of its own. Gift giving will always touch our hearts in a very special way.

Janie Corbett is an author and entrepreneur for JDC Global Ventures LLC, a continuing education, business development, lifestyles, shopping recommendations and train to have your own business. Get No Obligation Free Tips And Training at http://jdcglobalincome.com.

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Gift Giving Tradition in Japan

The process of giving gifts is a universal phenomenon but the way it is done varies around the world. It is particularly so in Japan where gift giving is a unique process complete with rules that need to be followed to ensure no one is offended. If you have any plan of going to Japan and staying there for some time, it is better to be acquainted with some of the gift-giving practices there.

Often, gifts are exchanged in Japan between colleagues on July 15 and January 1. So, if you go to Japan around those days on business, be prepared to bring and take home, many gifts.

In Japan, the emphasis is not on the gift itself but on the art of gift giving, so do not be worried about an expensive gift or an inexpensive one. It is more important to the Japanese that you gave a gift.

Always present a gift with both hands, never with one hand out front and another to the side or behind your back. Those gestures show lack of intimacy or sincerity.

If you have a personal gift for someone, you must give it in private and never in front of a group. It is considered offensive for you to give a gift to someone in a group setting, but not give a gift to someone of the same rank in the corporate structure.

Before you accept a gift, always politely refuse it once or twice.

If you are invited to a Japanese home, make sure to bring cake or candy and a bouquet of flowers, which always have to be in an uneven number, except nine.

Remember, if you get a gift from someone in Japan, you need to give a gift back to them to avoid offending them.

Some of the acceptable gifts to give in Japan include frozen steaks, cuff links and pen and pencil sets.

However, gifts to avoid giving at all costs are lilies as they are associated more often with funerals than anything else, white flowers and potted plants. There is a superstition in Japan that says potted plants encourage sickness in a business or household, so avoid them like the plague, no pun intended.

Other gifts to avoid include four or nine of anything, as these are considered unlucky numbers. Also avoid red Christmas cards. Red cards are often used to print funeral notices, so you will get the opposite effect you are looking for if you hand them out for Christmas.

Before going to any foreign country on business or for a personal trip, always make sure that you understand the customs of the area. If it is to Japan, yo should be particularly cautious. You may undo all the good work you have done merely by overlooking a few simple rules of behavior. It will be painful too as the worst thing you can do is offend someone without realizing it, as when you give or accept a gift.

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Some Tips Before Giving and Receiving a Gift

Gift Giving and receiving is a way to show your feeling and love for the person who is in front of you. It is nothing but a token of love and a good way to express your feeling and emotions. It is not essential that a gift must be costly or huge in size. A gift is a way for showing someone that he or she is special to you.

These gifts can be given or received on many occasions such as; birthday, marriage anniversary, promotion, at the time of success in any field, farewell, introduction, festivals, parties, new year, sometimes by the companies to its agents or staff and other many reasons like that. To take or to receive a gift is an art.

You can give anything as a gift. It may be flowers, books, pens, plants, bouquets, and everything which you think can show your feelings. Before giving and receiving a gift always remember some tips;

Before giving the gift to someone always remove the price tag from the gift.

While purchasing a gift for someone always remembers that the gift must be according to the situation and the occasion.

A gift must be as a messenger of your feelings; it is the only way to show your affections and emotions towards the person to whom you are giving it.

Wrap the gift in a special way to make it more attractive. Do not give someone unwrapped gift.

Use or make any special card, and attach it with the gift to make it special and attractive.

While presenting a gift always be positive and confident.

Always remember the timings, taste, selection and proportion before buying a gift for someone. Always remember the relations between the recipient and giver before purchasing a gift for someone.

When you receive a gift from someone always be thankful to the giver and appreciate the thing or the way of his presentation.

Never try to hurt the feelings of the giver because everybody who is giving the gift tries his or her best to give or present the most important way and thing to you.

Do not say like that; I have already that thing, or this thing is useless for me, its color or size is not good. These things are really painful for the giver.

Always show your humbleness while receiving a gift, try to show the importance of the person and his feelings by thanking him.

If somebody gives you the cash as a gift, tell him that I will spend on an important thing which will help me to remember you and your importance.

Do not open the gift in front of the guest. Wait for sometime, and open it in a proper way. Do not open it eagerly or in a bad manner.

Always try to please others too. Appreciate the importance and presence of the giver. Pay thanks for his coming and gift. Tell him that your gift is liked by me and all family members.

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Gift Giving Trends in India

Gifts are the ideal way to express mutual love and affection with each other in the busy society of today. They form the basis of mutual trust and bonding that people share with one another. I'm sure that as a child, you still remember your first gift - perhaps a toy from your parents, or your near and dear ones. It is not difficult to imagine how you must have clung to that gift with joy and delight. It is also possible that you shared the gift and your feelings of happiness with your siblings and friends alike.

If you are a grown up, you would have indisputably received gifts from your friends and acquaintances at some point of time. I'm sure that you would have cherished that gift equally. So, have you ever wondered why people gift and what makes gifts so popular? To begin with, let us try and understand how the concept of gifts originated and how exchanging gifts has become a popular activity today.

Since ancient times, humanity is familiar with gifts in one form or another. People exchange gifts as a token of love and appreciation between them. Many people exchange gifts on religious and social events also. The custom of exchanging gifts is as varied and diverse as the various cultures around the world.

The notion of gifts has expanded with the development of civilization. As society progressed, the concept of what can be gifted has acquired a wider and deeper meaning. Frankly, any thing that carries an evocative and nostalgic value can be considered as a gift. Today, people exchange gifts on a variety of festive and jovial occasions.

The idea of presenting gifts in India is also well established since ancient times. Ancient Indians gifted grain, cattle, fabric, pottery, and even gold and silver ornaments to their peers and loved ones. The custom of giving gifts is as popular in modern India as it is the world over. India's innumerable festivals, traditions, and diverse cultures form the perfect occasion for mutually exchanging gifts. People exchange gifts on festivals and events like Diwali, New Year, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Eid, Father's day, Mother's day, Valentine's day and Dussera.

Exchanging gifts is not limited to social events alone. It is also popular in corporate and business circles to promote the company and increase brand awareness. Items like pen holders, diaries, calendars, folders, mugs and other exquisite objects make an ideal gift for the modern business person.

For the perfect occasion, items like flowers, cakes, chocolates, cosmetics, handicraft items, dry fruits, fancy bags, perfumes, photo frames, roses, sarees, soft toys, sweets, and wall pictures are simply great. For many people, flowers are the perfect method of communicating their love, fondness and affection. Cakes and chocolates are more preferred by teenagers and the younger generation. Cosmetics and perfumes are usually chosen by the youthful people on the move. Other traditional minded people go in for conventional sweetmeats and mithais instead. Many people in society do not like to follow the norm, and go in for alternative gifts like those made from recycled material. Many people express their feelings with the help of greeting cards. It is not surprising that the greeting cards industry has grown in strength and dimension because of the popularity of sending cards to each other.

Buying gift items online is also becoming an extremely popular experience too. A casual search on popular search engines will reveal that there are many online websites that cater to the gifts market. Sending gifts online has become very simple indeed. Merely click on the product, fill in the shipping details and pay by credit card or an agency like PayPal through a secure gateway. The online merchant will process your payment details and send the gift to the intended person. Therefore, don't let any cheerful occasion pass away without involving gifts. Make a gift to your beloved parents, friends, or partners, and see their smile grow!

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