Almost every month in India, we celebrate numerous festivals, such as Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, Holi, etc. Hence, India is often called the land of festivals. At other times, we celebrate the birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and other special occasions of our loved ones. One common custom for both the festivals and the special occasions is gifting. From a pack of sweets to personalized gifts, Diwali gifts, and more, gifts help us express our love and affection for our friends and family.
Giving gifts is also an essential part of social interaction that helps us strengthen relationships. Gift-giving etiquette is also crucial. When choosing a gift for anyone, choosing something that aligns with the recipient’s taste and preferences is important. The gift you choose for your friend or a family member must come from the heart and not out of obligation or the expectation of receiving something in return.
The presentation, the note, and gift wrapping matter as well. Following certain gifting etiquette will make your gifts more impactful for the recipient. In this blog, we have explained the different gifting etiquettes to follow. Keep reading below to know!
Things to follow while giving someone a gift
Here are some details things to follow while giving someone a gift. By following all these ‘dos’ of gifting etiquettes, you will surely become the best gift giver in the entire family.
Set a budget: The first and foremost thing to do while giving someone a gift is to determine a budget. A gift is not only supposed to make the other person happy but should also satisfy the giver. Set a gifting budget that you can comfortably afford without straining your finances. This will ensure you have a smile on your face while giving the gift, and the receiver feels genuineness in your gesture.
Consider the recipient: Since you are gifting a present to your loved ones, you must know them enough to understand their likes and dislikes. So, do not forget to consider the recipient’s interests, tastes, and preferences when selecting their gift. See if they will like gadgets, accessories, books, clothes, food, or anything more than what you plan to gift them. The more thoughtful and personalized the gift, the more it will be appreciated. So, whether it is for a friend or family member, think about their likes and dislikes and then select the gift.
Pay attention to occasions: We give gifts on multiple occasions like friendship day, sibling’s day, festivals, birthdays, anniversaries, congratulatory gifts, gifts for best wishes, farewell gifts, and whatnot. But as you know, one must always give gifts according to the occasion. We cannot give get-well-soon gifts at a housewarming party and vice versa. So, choose an appropriate gift according to the occasion and respect the time and celebration.
Include a card and gift wrapper: When we receive a gift, if anything excites us more than the gift itself, it is the visual presentation of the gifting box or hamper being presented. So, it must look good and be presentable enough to impress the receiver. This can be done by adding a handwritten card with a heartfelt message on it for a personal touch. Because writing my paper is what is needed to pleasantly surprise someone. You must also thoughtfully wrap your gift with a piece of paper that will impress the receiver. Such gestures will not only make the gift more presentable but will also show that you care for the other person.
Respect cultural differences: We do not only give gifts within our family. We also give gifts to our friends, colleagues, and random people who help us in the walk of life. Therefore, it is not always possible for the recipient to have the same culture and faith as you. So, be aware of cultural norms and customs regarding gift-giving, especially if the recipient comes from a different cultural background. Your wrong gift can put a question mark on all your intentions and ruin your relationship with the other person. So, gift carefully.
Follow gift exchange rules: Every festival, occasion, and celebration has some sort of unsaid rules that everyone follows. If you are participating in a gift exchange occasion, adhere to the specified rules and guidelines to ensure fairness. This will give a good message that you are a sensible person and worthy of getting involved in rituals involving gifting.
Be gracious: When we give a gift to someone, we expect them to be excited while receiving it and happy after opening it. And when someone else gives us a gift, they expect the same from us. So, if you receive a gift, express your gratitude sincerely, whether you love the gift or not. Thank the giver in person, and if possible, follow up with a thank-you note. It will make them happy, give them confidence, and encourage them to socialize.
Things to ignore while giving someone gifts
When we have a set of ‘dos’ to do something, we also have a set of ‘don’ts’ to avoid making mistakes. Here are a few things to ignore while giving someone gifts. Consider these as the ‘don’ts.’
Do not overspend: The gifts and gifting trend is meant to be enjoyed. It is there to express love and gratitude towards the other person and show your support to them. But this cannot happen by stressing yourself out by going over budget and risking your pocket to pay more than they can. Therefore, avoid giving gifts that are beyond your budget. The gift should not be a joy in the recipient’s life after being stressed in yours. Moreover, it is the thought that counts, not the price tag. So, gift mindfully.
Refrain from regifting carelessly: On multiple occasions, we usually get gifts not of our taste or use. We decided to refund them to those who will appreciate the item more than we did. While it is a great idea to regift unwanted gifts you receive as it saves time, money, and a lot of other things, one must always be careful while doing so. If you choose to regift, make sure the item is brand new, in excellent condition, and appropriate for the recipient. Apart from that, be careful not to regift an item to someone who was the original giver of the item. It will hurt their feelings and make your relationship sour.
Avoid offensive or inappropriate gifts: One of the biggest gifting etiquette is not to give anything that offends anyone and is not appropriate for gifting. Gifts must be soft, useful, cheerful, and something worth appreciating. So, steer clear of gifts that could be offensive, controversial, or inappropriate for the occasion or recipient.
Do not make It about you: Sometimes, we think our choices are unique and appreciable. This showcases confidence, but it hardly takes a few minutes to turn this thought into overconfidence in yourself and ruining the occasion. If such things happen, we often buy gifts we like and forget the receiver’s perspective. Therefore, try to focus more on the recipient’s preferences and less on your own liking. Avoid giving gifts solely because you like them or want to promote your own interests. This can be impolite towards the receiver.
Do not pressure for a thank-you: One must always say ‘thank you’ after receiving a gift. These are surely basic manners, but other gifting manners include not pressuring someone to show gratitude or say ‘thank you’ for the gift they have given to someone. Give the other person time to check out the gift and then express gratitude for your kindness. Hoping or asking for an immediate ‘thank you’ can be rude and show self-entitlement. Instead, be patient and wait for some time.
Do not make assumptions: This point can be understood in two ways. Firstly, don’t assume you know what someone wants or needs. And then tell them you have bought this gift because you thought they needed the item. This can be rude to the recipient, and they can take offense even though your intentions were pure. So, when in doubt, ask or opt for something safe and universally appreciated.
Secondly, you must also refrain from making assumptions while opening the gift in front of the giver. That’s because your assumptions might not match with what is inside the gift box, but the giver can feel bad thinking that they haven’t given anything you are assuming.
Refrain from revealing the cost of the gift: This is the most basic gifting etiquette to follow: not to be vocal about the price of the gift. That’s because it is generally considered impolite to disclose the price of a gift, whether it is expensive or budget-friendly. Remember, you are not gifting them something to show off or make them feel shallow in any way. So, keep the price of the gift to yourself and don’t disclose it to anyone, especially the recipient.
Whether you give someone a personalized gift or just some chocolates and cookies, you must know what gestures can make your gift more impactful and worthy of gifting.
Conclusion:
Gifts are a token of love that we give to people who matter. They aren’t meant to demean someone, show your superiority, or make someone look bad in front of others. Hence, they must be given or received with humbleness and keeping in mind the basic etiquettes for gifting.
After knowing all the things to follow while giving someone a gift and things to ignore while giving someone gifts, you can be confident that you know all the gifting etiquettes by heart and can follow them easily.
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Anishka is our in-house content writer who sees writing as her responsibility for delivering factual and well-researched information to her audience. With 2+ years of experience as a content writer, Anishka has greatly understood the needs of people and knows how to blend knowledge with creativity to keep her readers hooked to her write-ups.