Choosing Special Occasion Gifts

For most people choosing normal gifts for birthdays and Christmas is an exercise in frustration and stress, and choosing gifts for special occasions can be even more difficult!  The thing about special occasion gifts that makes them different however isn't only in their appropriateness for the person receiving the gift, but also in the sense of occasion that accompanies the gift.  Special occasion gifts are given to mark certain important events such as landmark birthdays such as 13, 21, 30, 40, and so on.  Other special occasion gifts are given to mark life achievements such as graduation, first job, having a baby, getting married, and the larger wedding anniversaries such as 25, 40, 50 and 60 years of marriage.

For special events like this, this is often something that is associated with it, for example commemorative plates, trinkets, and other "keepsakes" and these all make appropriate special occasion gifts and because they are generic, they don't require you to spend too long deciding what to buy.  These generic gifts even come in novelty form such as funny verses, cute soft toys, and an assortment of fun items that range from tasteful to tasteless!  You might not want to give your great-grandma a stuffed teddy bear for her 90^th birthday, but a bone china mug with "90" on it could make a perfect special occasion gift - and one that she will be able to use. 

For those who enjoy shopping for others, looking for special occasion gifts is a fun thing to do.  There are people who are able to think of a person in their life and know exactly what they'd like.  Being able to combine that with a special event in their lives makes the gift buying special too.  For example, if you know a couple who are celebrating their 40^th Wedding Anniversary - their "Ruby" Wedding Anniversary, and you also know that they are a couple who love gardening, why not buy them a rose bush that will bloom beautiful deep red roses?   For a new baby special occasion gift, do something that the mother will love.  Instead of buying her baby clothes and toys, which the baby will grow out of and so be passed on, pay for the baby's first portrait photo by giving her a pre-paid voucher for a local photographer.

When starting to think about buying special occasion gifts, keep one thing in mind.  At these times in our lives that are marked in a special way, often it is the company of family and good friends that means the most to us, and the gifts are a bonus. Make sure you find time to spend with the person on their special day and that will probably be the best gift of all.