People have been celebrating the act of moving homes for hundreds of years now, and as a result, there is a selection of traditional housewarming gifts that can be found in cultures across the globe. Some of these traditional gifts include food and drink items like bread, sugar, salt, and wine, whereas others may seem a bit more esoteric, like roosters! Yes, people used to gift one another roosters, just because they made particularly effective home security alarms.
Whilst many of these traditional housewarming gifts don’t necessarily translate into great gifts in the modern day, they do have modern day equivalents, which we’ll be exploring today. Read on to discover the perfect gift for your next big, housewarming celebration.
1. A breadmaker
In the past, the traditional gift of a loaf of bread for new homeowners symbolised well wishes that the members of that household would never go hungry. This same sentiment is precisely what makes food or kitchen-related items still an incredibly popular option when it comes to housewarming gifts today.
Instead of a freshly baked loaf of bread, however, you can grant new homeowners the ability to make their own bread by wrapping up a state-of-the-art domestic breadmaker! There are very few foods that are more comforting than a warm loaf of bread, but actually learning how to make your own dough and bake your own bread can feel genuinely enriching for many modern foodies and budding culinarians.
If you want to take this gift to another level, you can absolutely throw in some silicone baking sheets to help their baking experience, or even provide them with a little sourdough starter so that they can test their new breadmaker out straight away!
2. Salt and pepper shakers
Again, the traditional symbolism behind salt or other spices was to ensure that the new occupants of that home would always have flavour, both in their lives and at their table. That being said, it’s unlikely that any of your friends or loved ones would appreciate being gifted a whole hunk of salt for their housewarming unless of course, you’d given them a Himalayan salt lamp!
If you feel like your gift recipients won’t be fans of a Himalayan salt lamp, however, then you could absolutely go a more practical route and give them a cute pair of salt and pepper shakers to match their new kitchen space. Themed salt and pepper shakers can be the perfect novelty housewarming gift that still provides your gift recipients with plenty of practical elements. You may even combine the traditional gift of a rooster with this particular gift idea by finding a rooster and hen set of salt and pepper shakers, creating the perfect hodgepodge of a housewarming gift.
3. A bottle of wine or a decanter
The symbolism behind a bottle of wine as a housewarming gift was to ensure that the home’s new occupants would always be able to enjoy both good company and the finer things in their new life. This particular traditional gift still translates fairly well in the present day, as many of your friends and loved ones would still be more than delighted to receive a bottle of wine to celebrate their first get-together in their brand new home.
You can modernize this gift further, however, by gifting your recipients some snazzy barware to go along with a good bottle of wine, like a wine cooler or an ornate wine decanter for boosting their wine-tasting experience. Be sure to find bar accessories in a style that matches the rest of their home bar decor and equipment!
4. A potted plant
Fresh produce was viewed as a highly regarded housewarming gift in the days of yesteryear, as it was essentially one family gifting another the literal fruits (and vegetables) of their labour. In the present day, however, gifting produce is as easy as nipping to the shops for a head of celery and a gift bag. In short, this is not a gift that anybody would be thrilled to receive.
A modern twist on this particular traditional housewarming gift idea is to swap that fresh produce out for a happy, indoor plant. Domestic greenery can be a fantastic addition to any new home space, and will help your gift recipients feel settled and comfortable in their new surroundings in no time at all. Indoor plants also hold a myriad of other emotional and physical health benefits, so any little bit of potted greenery is likely to be much appreciated by your gift recipients.
5. Candles
The traditional gift of candles was used to ensure that your gift recipients would also have light, warmth, and happiness in their new home. In the modern-day, the significance and heartfelt sentiments behind candles is largely unchanged. Candles are still amongst some of the most popular housewarming gifts today, as a home can never really have enough of these aroma-producers and atmosphere cultivators.
If you do opt to gift your new homeowners with a candle or two to commemorate their move, you should absolutely consider their preferences for scents, if you do know. For instance, some people tend to prefer spiced candles over fruity scents. And for others, the ideal aroma-producer may very well be a diffuser or even incense sticks and an incense holder over a wax candle.
6. A wooden serving board
Finally, one of the most underrated traditional gifts included wooden ornaments or even firewood to ensure that your gift recipients may always be able to experience peace, warmth, and stability (or a stable foundation) in their new surroundings. A highly popular modern take on the traditional gift of wood has to be modern wooden serving boards, like cutting boards or charcuterie boards.
Wooden serving boards are always a lovely gift to receive for any modern homeowners, as they are incredibly practical alongside being able to add homey elements to any kitchen space. This particular gift idea is also customizable with the help of laser engraving technologies, so you could even opt to engrave a significant date or potentially a message into their serving board to commemorate the occasion further.
And there you have it! 6 traditional housewarming gifts turned into glorious modern gift ideas. Regardless of which option you choose of the ideas we’ve outlined above, chances are high that your intended gift recipients will highly appreciate the thoughtfulness and sentiment behind your lovingly selected housewarming gift idea.
