Apr 8 It All Started with a Basket – Christmas Gift Baskets in History
How long ago was the first Christmas Gift Basket created and given? Rough estimates place that occurrence approximately 12,000 years ago. At that time the primary purpose of gift basket giving was to provide a gift recipient with the means for carrying goods or making food products. Other religious figures such as Cain and Abel offered up gift baskets to God. Items in these baskets included Cain’s produce grown throughout his fields.
Other historical representations of gift basket giving have been documented in cave drawings appearing approximately 5,000 years ago. These early drawings depicted the act of giving a gift basket to another person. European royalty also took part in the gift giving process. Often times these gift baskets included local wine and food products. Famous writer Voltaire expressed the sentiment behind gift baskets by stating “Those who can make you believe that giving anything but a gift basket is acceptable can make you commit other social atrocities”.
A favorite season for gift baskets is clearly the Christmas holidays. Sending Christmas Gift Baskets or Christmas Flowers to family members across the miles is a traditional expression of love. It is a way to share the sentiment of the holidays and keep distant relatives close at heart.
It lets loved ones know they are in our thoughts even though financial and geographical barriers may have presented obstacles to celebrating the holidays in person.
As the gift basket tradition began, common ingredients were sausages, cheeses and wines. Today the gift baskets have expanded to include any hobby or interest as well as a vibrant colored Christmas Flower. You can thoughtfully consider the gift recipient and find the perfect basket containing all of the things that person loves the most.
Include chocolate covered strawberries and a nice bottle of wine to indulge a chocolate lover’s passion. Give a girlfriend a much needed break with a spa retreat gift basket including fuzzy slippers, bath salts and a good book. Coffee lovers will be touched with a coffee themed gift basket including delicious coffees, chocolates and teas. There is also the opportunity to create customized gift baskets by including special trinkets meant only for that unique individual on a shopping list.
Other great ideas for baskets are a pair of gloves and some gardening tools for that garden enthusiast in life. An avid book reader would delight in opening the latest mystery novel, complete with a book light and some snacks to munch on when reading. Let an online retailer such as 1800flowers.com help create the perfect gift baskets for those you love the most as Christmas.
