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Selecting Christmas
gifts for friends is difficult because homes today are cluttered with
all kinds of consumer items. Ultimately, what matters is the sincere
thought and genuine affection that wrap the gift, says Anju
Munshi
SO what are you doing this Christmas? What to wear? What gifts would be the most unusual and cherished by your loved ones? Admittedly, you are under pressure to live up to their expectations as no one likes mediocrity these days. Every year around this time, these thoughts nudge you to do things differently this year— different clothes, a different party theme, different venue, different gifts. Choosing gifts for relatives and friends sometimes proves the biggest headache. "Selecting gifts for my friends is difficult because homes today are cluttered with all kinds of consumer items", rues Shikha Jotsi. Thanks to the consumer boom, cupboards in most homes are choc-a- bloc with goods you thought of buying as gifts. This doesn't mean that one stops giving or receiving presents on festivals, but requires hard thinking and looking at things from other's perspective. So redefining the concept of Christmas gifts is quite the trend these days. It may be an exclusive sari, shirt or a jewellery item. It may also be a meal in a restaurant, a trip to distant lands, or a collage of pictures of yesteryear to your loved ones. But it is the thought and the style that has changed in recent years, together with an element of surprise. It's up to you to find new ways to do the same old thing. Personal touch becomes important. This means that you have to know the person well enough to be aware of his/her preferences and tastes. More than suits, saris, shirts or frocks for little girls, a dinner coupon for an entire family could score you brownie points. Coupons and gift cheques are like gifting the loved ones with a freedom to choose what they want, provided it does not turn into an impersonal gesture. A coupon for a beauty treatment for your mom (daughters, are you hearing?) is a new trend, says Nilufer Babycon, beautician at well-known Woman’s World parlour in Kolkata. Tea sachets and hampers are also coming in, says Dolly Roy of the famous Dolly's Tea boutique outlet in Dakshinapam shopping complex. Teenagers, stop racking your brains. A gift coupon for Music World is enough to overwhelm them. If you are a trifle worried about the health of a parent or an aunt, send a basket of nicely wrapped fresh fruits and fruit juices. For an aunt who keeps complaining of pains and aches, an ayurvedic massage gifted by you will ensure loads of heartfelt gratitude and blessings. For an uncle buy a smartly wrapped bottle of wine and watch out for that unmistakable twinkle in his eyes. You can also arrange ready- to- eat meals by simply placing an order and having it home-delivered for your more elderly relatives who do not want to move out. They will surely be happy to be let off from cooking for a day or so. However, there are large varieties of gifts for elderly available in the market today. You can choose, depending on the specific needs, such as a big button phone and remote for the low-on-vision seniors, medicine boxes, memory games for seniors, reclining chairs, folding walking sticks, travelling accessories, garden tools, spectacles and good socks with non-skid provision. For your husband don't bother, for nothing that you get is good enough. Togetherness over a candle-lit meal will be divine. For your kids let them be—a complete day out for them with no questions asked. For a dear friend why not think of a bottle of champagne and invite yourself over? These days various companies take out festive packaged gifts for your near and dear ones like Spices of India and Nestle /Amul chocolate hampers. The manner of giving a gift is worth taking care of too. Gift- wrapping is an art by itself and the different accessories available today truly make the gifts attractive. Paper roses, satin ribbons, jute bags—the works. Kruti Desai, a creative designer at Nalini Florist in Kolkata, works with glass trays and this season she has been working with pinewood trays and boxes with paper ribbons. "I pack chocolates, gujias, etc. in coconut shells, wooden boxes and papaya skins, cakes on glass platters, and all these are in great demand. Even though Kolkata is much behind in the glitz of gift- wrapping, we are catching up fast," she says. A great hit is a collection of wine bottles on a bed of grapes in a pinewood basket. A spokesperson of Nik Nish, a gift shop of Kolkata, frequented by the young, says that the trend is to buy cards with funny messages, gifts like odd-shaped bangles, long earrings, nail painting, tattoo stickers, hair accessories and junk jewellery. The elderly come looking for time-pieces, photo frames and utility items, perfumes, wall brackets, slim watches and flower vases. With a growing awareness of Feng-shui and Vaastu, many flock to buy aquariums, room fountains, laughing Buddhas and other charms. If you are short of ideas or hesitant or don't know a person well, play safe and believe in flower power. Flowers can be welcome any time and on any occasion. In fact, floral gifts remain the favourite item in almost all countries around the world. It is said that the importance of flowers became so pronounced in the Victorian era that people paid more attention to the scent of the flowers they were carrying than the clothes they were wearing. They are forever in, the safest and the most acceptable gift item even today. A word of caution, though. Being generous is one thing; over-indulgence is something else. Unfortunately, moderation seems elusive today. Ultimately, it is the sincere thought and genuine affection that wrap the gift makes the best it. — TWF
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