Gift Giving Through the Ages

by Joyce Reid

                Gift-giving is one of the world's oldest social traditions.  It all began that day in the garden when Eve gave Adam a gift of the forbidden fruit.   The lowly Shepherds and the Magi gave the Christ child the first Christmas gifts.

                Upon returning home, explorers presented gifts to the rulers of England, Spain or whatever country supported their adventures.  The first "Bosses Day", perhaps?

                After a night of restless dreaming, even grumpy old Scrooge decided to combine Christmas with "Employee Appreciation Day" by sending the biggest turkey he could find to the home of his hard-working bookkeeper.  

                In the 1890's when steamships traveled the Atlantic to the continent, the very wealthy would send bon voyage gifts to friends and business associates.  The staterooms were very, very small so the baskets were created to be very thin but very tall gifts that took little space. These gifts were used as snacking foods on the long overseas trips.

                Business gift giving has come a long way since Harry & David graduated from selling fruit at a roadside stand into mail order back in 1948.  A lot of new products have been introduced, tried, and then discarded as suitable gifts for business customers and employees.  Chocolate-covered ants, introduced at the 1963 International Fancy Food Show are a good example.  A few years ago, chocolate-covered pasta received rave reviews and has now almost disappeared from lack of interest.  Boxes of gourmet chocolates, Chocolate covered coffee beans, blueberries, and cherries, however, continue to be popular gourmet snack foods. 

                Like fashions, gifts have a cycle.  The kinds of gifts as well as the giving patterns change over the years.  In the late 1970s and into the 1980s, gifts were often larger than life and could easily be construed as a bride rather than a relationship builder.  As a result, many companies have placed restrictions on the value of the gift and even IRS has stepped in with a maximum allowable deduction per gift.

                Heavy promotional logoed items were the gift rage for awhile.  That has been replaced with more tasteful logoed items.  Bottles of alcohol were once considered the gift of choice.   Then popcorn tins became the gift of the time.  I remember when I was a Realtor, the office received so many Christmas popcorn tin gifts that we were snacking on stale popcorn in July.  Gourmet foods such as fruit gift baskets, chocolate and nut gifts, desserts, and gourmet gift baskets are always acceptable. 

                In the U.S., gifts to business customers, clients, and employees are appreciated but not expected.  But everyone loves to be remembered and recognized, particularly when least expected.  A gift from one business person to another can go a long way towards building good will and cementing a good business relationship.  It is important, however, not to cross that fine line between a "nice gesture" and a bribe.

                The old adage, "It's not the gift, it's the thought that counts" may be true.  But unfortunately a carelessly chosen gift in the business world can result in a disastrous embarrassment for the giver, the recipient, or both.

Joyce Reid is the owner of Creative Gifts To Go LLC, located in Flagstaff Arizona and is a staff writer for Rave Reviews -- the national trade magazine for the gift basket industry.  She also owns and operates GiftBasketNetwork.com and Route 66 Memories.