New Year’s Symbols
Pigs, bulls, Santa Clauses, Christmas trees — on napkins, mugs, as candles, figurines, and more. In 2024, an invasion of dragons, especially Green Wooden ones, is expected. When the holiday ends, what do you do with all this symbolism? Dump it. Or keep it until 2025, or even 12 years — until the next Year of the Dragon.
Exception
Edible gifts: for example, a chocolate Santa Claus or Christmas cookie figurines that can be placed on the table and consumed immediately.
Regifting Gifts
You can save money on gifts if you have unwanted presents lying around. This useless candle was a gift from the Ivanovs, so you can give it to the Sidorovs. Oh, wait, or was it the Sidorovs who gave it? In most cases, trying to regift something will eventually land you in an awkward situation.
Exception
If the gift is really good, new, just not useful to you, but needed by some acquaintances, and they definitely won’t know it’s regifted. For example, they dream of a coffee maker, and you have one sitting unused. Of course, only if it’s in perfect condition and preferably with the original packaging.
Handmade
“The best gift is one made by hand.” It’s time to forget this axiom, unless you’re a child and the gift is for your beloved mother. Otherwise, homemade scarves, napkins, and vases from whatever is at hand will only puzzle the recipient. Especially those pictures embroidered or drawn by pattern.
Exception
You are a recognized master of handmade, your works are in high demand, and friends and relatives simply beg you to create something for them. Or the recipient is a close person who will appreciate such attention.
Incomplete Sets
Incomplete items are most often found in the kitchen. A cheap tea set, a personalized mug, a “personal” spoon, a single kitchen towel, all in different styles. As a result, the kitchen looks like a rental apartment with “owner’s” decor. Today, it’s customary to give sets, dishware sets, or cutlery sets. If you can’t afford such, it’s better to abandon the idea of giving “something for the kitchen” altogether.
Exception
A “workplace” gift. For example, a custom-designed mug or a simple solid-color one — for drinking tea at work. Bonus — it’s unlikely that a colleague will take it.
“Vintage” Items
Melchior spoons, gilded frames, porcelain figurines — if they are new or the recipient’s interior is modern, such items are a tasteless gift. And it’s especially not worth giving figurines from cheap trinket stores.
Exception
Genuinely rare items for enthusiasts and collectors that perfectly fit into the interior. If you’re ready to splurge on such vintage.
Paintings and Mirrors
Hanging just anything on the wall is a habit that should be left in the past. Many have done so, but for some reason continue to give others unnecessary paintings, posters, mirrors, panels.
Exception
If there’s no money for a full renovation, but you need to cover a hole in the wall or wallpaper drawn on by a child. And only if you are specifically asked for such a gift.
Photo Frames and Albums
Have you noticed that photo frames are often surprisingly tasteless? With hearts, stars, roses, and even more roses. They don’t fit into any interior. And photo albums, in which you need to insert printed photos, mostly gather dust in the closets half-empty.
Exception
A thematic photo book with memories of a significant event: a wedding, graduation, a pleasant vacation. The main thing is that the recipient looks great in the photos. And it’s better to give such a gift to very close people.
Gifts for “Real Men” and “Homemakers”
Aprons, frying pans, oven mitts, pots, fishing rods, tool kits — such gifts can be an offensive hint. Especially if the woman is not a cooking enthusiast, or the man is not an avid hunter-fisherman or handyman.
Exception
Only if fishing, cooking, and all such “male-female” activities are the recipient’s favorite hobby.
Pillows and Soft Toys
Gifts like these can cause allergies, both literally and figuratively. Besides, they often don’t fit into the interior but become excellent dust collectors.
Exception
Special pillows for pregnant women, teddy bears for those who adore them, and so on. Based on interests.
Candles and Home Fragrances
It’s not advisable to gift aroma lamps, aroma dispensers, home perfumes, incenses, scented candles, and sachets. There are no universal scents that everyone likes. And for allergy and asthma sufferers, many scents can trigger attacks.
Exception
The person is passionate about aromatherapy, anti-stress olfactory practices. Or you know exactly which scent the gift recipient will like.
Fridge Magnets
Everyone gives them for any occasion, not just when returning from vacation. Cheap and cheerful, but also useless. Because looking at someone else’s travel map is uninteresting, and this musical clay ram that bleats and lights up pink when you open the fridge is just annoying.
Exception
Themed magnets that the person collects.
Impractical Home Gadgets
Vegetable dryers, egg counters, fondue sets, barbecue grills, ice cream makers, electric salt mills — practically… nobody uses these. If something is needed, people usually buy it themselves.
Exception
You were specifically asked for such a gift, or a friend/relative recently talked about dreaming of a specific gadget.
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