Giving and receiving is a fundamental human act. The exchange of something for something else, the bartering of goods, is a transaction where there’s often very little emotion involved. Giving with no expectation of receiving, however, is emotional. It shows love, respect, gratitude, appreciation, or apology.
Yet with all the ‘stuff’ we have nowadays, it’s often hard to think of the right gift for someone who ‘has everything’. That’s why gift hampers are such a good gift idea. Not only do they show thoughtfulness through personalisation to suit the recipient, but they are practical, usually tasty and can be shared further.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the humble (or sometimes ostentatious) hamper – its history, why it makes such a darn good gift and how you can create the ideal hamper for a loved one.
History of gift hampers
Many sources state that William the Conqueror or kickstarted the tradition of gift hampers in England when he brought one over from France in the 11th C. The word hamper comes from the Old French ‘hanapier’ meaning a ‘case for goblets’. The rich would often put together a basket with food and drink and give it to their staff at Christmas time so that everyone could have a good Christmas feast.
But the original gift hamper givers were probably the ancient Romans. Around Christmas time, they would celebrate the pagan festival of the god Saturn, Saturnalia, and much gift giving would take place, some of which would be baskets filled with edible goodies.
Fast-forward to the Victorian 1800s and we see the invention of the railway and with it, a more convenient way to send gift hampers to loved ones across the country. Gift hampers of clothing, food and other essentials were also often given to charities to help the less fortunate.
Just over 100 years on, in the midst of World War I, families would send gift hampers in the form of care packages to their men at the frontline or the injured soldiers in hospitals to brighten their spirits and give them a taste of home.
A little ditty about baskets
Gift hampers have traditionally been given arranged in a basket, but let’s take a moment to look at the journey the basket had made and its place in history.
Despite the advances of the Industrial Revolution, basket weaving is a job that is still mostly done by hand and the act of weaving baskets dates back to time immemorial.
In almost every culture in the world, there is some form of early basket weaving. Materials may differ depending on what plant fibres are available in each country, but the concept of plaiting these fibres to make receptacles for food, trinkets and clothing appears to be universal.
Fragments of baskets have been found in the Egyptian pyramids and in the moulds of ancient pottery. Baskets are even mentioned in the Bible, where Moses’ mother puts him in a basket in the reeds of the Nile, to be found by the Egyptian princess and taken in as her own.
The Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre is also said to have carried a basket of eggs, which may or may not have led to the Easter basket tradition. Farmers who worshipped her would make sacred offerings of seedlings in baskets to ensure a good harvest.
Gift hampers in Australia
In the early colonial days of Australia, international gift hamper sending was not possible as the hamper would have had to make a very long journey from loved ones in London.
In the 1800s, the journey would have required anywhere from two to eight months at sea and then a rush to the docks to try to locate your mail.
Or it would pass from the ship to a friend to the shopkeeper to a neighbour and eventually to you at some undefined time with a bit of chance and luck.
Once the railway and postal system were established, things got a bit easier, but still, months at sea would leave any gift hamper a little worse for wear.
With the invention of aeroplanes in the 1900s, sending gift hampers became more of a possibility.
In fact, the first commercial flights in Australia in the 1920s were mail runs and in 1935, the first international flight from Australia between Brisbane and Singapore was part of the aerial mail route from Australia to England.
Nowadays, with the advances in technology, we can merely click a button and a gift hamper can miraculously be sent from supplier to loved one pretty much anywhere in the world.
How to create the perfect gift hamper
What goes into a gift hamper matters.
It’s not just an easy gift idea when you can’t think of anything else. There are things to consider that will turn it into a thoughtful and personal present and things to remember to make sure you get what you pay for.
Size of contents
When choosing a gift hamper, look at the size and weight of the products inside.
Pictures can be deceiving and often a hamper will look big on the screen, but when it’s deconstructed, it’s 90% stuffing and crepe paper.
Make sure you go for quantity of product over bow and wrapping size.
Quality of contents
The point of the gift hamper is for the lucky recipient to really enjoy what’s inside.
So, make sure that what goes into the gift hamper are quality products made by reputable suppliers with good reviews.
Personalised to taste
Of course, the best way to make a gift hamper achieve its aim is to personalise it to the recipient. Maybe they love a certain type of chocolate, so you include that.
Pick and choose what goes in to suit their tastes. You can also often choose the colour and style of the wrapping with the recipient in mind.
Ethical aspect
With our increased awareness of environmental factors and the ethics of production, giving a gift is about more than just making one person happy. It’s also about making sure the products are ethically sourced and don’t harm the environment or the community that produce them.
Be sure to do a background check on the products before committing, so you can sleep easy at night and the person you’re sending the hamper to, can enjoy it with a clear conscience.
Is it suitable for sharing?
The good thing about a gift hamper is that the joy can be shared. Putting a variety of products in a hamper ensures that everyone can enjoy it together.
Looking for a perfectly delectable chocolate gift hamper?
At Davies Chocolate, we can create gift hampers and chocolate gift hampers to suit you.
We have a range of ethically sourced, palm oil-free and gluten-free quality chocolates to choose from, so you can make the perfect, personalised chocolate gift hamper for a loved one.
Choose from a wide range of boxes, snack bags and bites of dark and milk chocolate. And with an assortment of flavours, there’s a Davies chocolate to suit every taste.
And what’s even better, we pride ourselves on presentation and don’t stuff our gift hampers full of paper and filling to look bigger, they are bigger so what you see is what you get!