Good birthday gifts are at the very least functional - but great birthday gifts are kept forever as a touchstone for that time in their life.
Of course, any gifts can be imbued with meaning because of the context of the gift, and of course, the person who gives it.
But there are certain Birthday gift ideas that keep on coming up because they tend to be the kinds of things people cherish and hold on to.
The things that adults hold on to, what are they? Often things like Steiff bears, something full of affection, soft and cuddly, small enough to come along for all the moves one makes in adulthood, but big enough to be remembered when moving day comes.
Along these lines, an extremely comfortable and durable piece of clothing is a gift that someone can use for years.
A scarf, a bomber hat, a pair of boots, a heavy coat - when you pull on one of these pieces of clothing to get warm, you're fondly reminded of the person who gave it to you.
That kind of affiliation, made between two people through exchanged birthday gifts, is most ideal - associating the giver with a literal, physical feeling of warmth.
They range depending on circumstance, but as you can see, birthday gifts that are tactile and sensory are often extremely affecting to receive, even years after.
Some may say that nowadays, everything is digital, and that to give physical presents like these may seem antiquated or corny.
I would argue that the exact opposite is true - that with the limited nature of physical correspondence, and the somewhat impersonal ways of communication on the rise, you can hold in your hands are made even more special.
This is not meant to offend the techies out there, though.
In fact, a lot of tech gifts operate under this same idea of being tactile.
Gifts like tablet computers, mp3 players, and digital book readers are all things that can remind someone of the gift-giver when they use the item - especially if the giver has included a personal engraving or case! Anyway, this day must be about celebration and whether the birthday person wants something more traditional or something very trendy and high-tech, they must have what they have been dreaming about for days, weeks or even months.
Isn't the point? Receiving something special, maybe something we cannot afford or something fun.
Of course, any gifts can be imbued with meaning because of the context of the gift, and of course, the person who gives it.
But there are certain Birthday gift ideas that keep on coming up because they tend to be the kinds of things people cherish and hold on to.
The things that adults hold on to, what are they? Often things like Steiff bears, something full of affection, soft and cuddly, small enough to come along for all the moves one makes in adulthood, but big enough to be remembered when moving day comes.
Along these lines, an extremely comfortable and durable piece of clothing is a gift that someone can use for years.
A scarf, a bomber hat, a pair of boots, a heavy coat - when you pull on one of these pieces of clothing to get warm, you're fondly reminded of the person who gave it to you.
That kind of affiliation, made between two people through exchanged birthday gifts, is most ideal - associating the giver with a literal, physical feeling of warmth.
They range depending on circumstance, but as you can see, birthday gifts that are tactile and sensory are often extremely affecting to receive, even years after.
Some may say that nowadays, everything is digital, and that to give physical presents like these may seem antiquated or corny.
I would argue that the exact opposite is true - that with the limited nature of physical correspondence, and the somewhat impersonal ways of communication on the rise, you can hold in your hands are made even more special.
This is not meant to offend the techies out there, though.
In fact, a lot of tech gifts operate under this same idea of being tactile.
Gifts like tablet computers, mp3 players, and digital book readers are all things that can remind someone of the gift-giver when they use the item - especially if the giver has included a personal engraving or case! Anyway, this day must be about celebration and whether the birthday person wants something more traditional or something very trendy and high-tech, they must have what they have been dreaming about for days, weeks or even months.
Isn't the point? Receiving something special, maybe something we cannot afford or something fun.