What NOT to gift this Diwali?

In India, Diwali is not just a festival anymore but an emotion! Our October/November calendars are filled with plans revolving around the festival of Diwali, Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj. The fun, the shopping, the celebration…. all of it, it’s worth the wait of a year! The light of the lanterns, the smell of the sweets and the feeling of togetherness are all-pervading in the atmosphere. The online shopping spree becomes never ending (after all, how many clothes are too much clothes?)

In addition to that, the local bazaars are all full of light and bursting at the seams with people wanting to buy everything right from clothes to home decor (in their defense, people would say it is only at this time of the year that all of their friends and family visit  home.) And who can forget the GIFTS! The “Oh! So long” list of gifts we receive during the DGE(Diwali Gift exchange) 

Be it the Chachaji with the dry fruit gift pack or the Buaji with the home decor, we can’t deny how fond we Indians are of sending and receiving gifts. Diwali wouldn’t be Diwali but for the gifts! Everyone goes on all the time (literally all the time) about what all should you gift someone, but who will tell you about what “not to gift” this Diwali season? Yes, there is a list of items which you should totally avoid gifting during Diwali 2019. Take down these points now and thank us later, please.

 1. What’s with those thousands of Soan papdi boxes in rotation?

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 If boring, unoriginal and dry were sweets instead of words…they would be called Soan papdi! We mean, how cliched is it if you still gift people Soan papdi in 2019. Save yourself some effort and stop doing this to yourself and fellow recipients. You like sweets… that’s great but there are better sweets to give out to people you love than Soan papdi. 

Giving them cookies, chocolates or home made sweets would be a much better way to show your appreciation for them and making the Diwali “meet and greet” worthwhile.

2. Beware of the too “small” Tupperware boxes or too “flashy” kitchen trinkets!

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Okay, we understand moms love their Tupperware more than life itself but that does not mean that every Diwali you flood people’s house with kitchenware. We all have seen shelves of crockery and kitchenware, unused and unopened, in people’s dining rooms. Every year during the festival season so much crockery is in rotation, it’s almost similar to the situation with Soan papdi. It’s not like we are saying, that kitchenware is not useful or handy, but the reality of the matter is that there is only so much one can use! 

So it’s best to avoid giving kitchenware to people…it saves you the money and them the space to fit in one more box of glasses(or bowls) on the shelf.

3. Random decor like Photo frames or Wind chimes are so much better where they are….

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And by that we totally mean the gift shop shelves! Okay, just for a second, be honest with yourself and truly answer, how many of those gifted wind chimes are hanging around in your home? or how many of the photo frames you have received are gracing the walls of your house with their presence? There, you have your answer! We promise you not more than 2.

A more suitable idea would be to give out modern home decor instead. Your friends and family would be grateful to you for that. One thumb rule of giving out gifts to people on Diwali: Never gift things you would not want to be on the receiving end of, simple as that! 

4. Be Eco-friendly and human-friendly with no patakhas ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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One of the recent trends that we have seen emerging in the markets is the sale of “Fire cracker” gift packs. We understand that you are quite possibly appalled by this news but really, just go to your nearest departmental store or gift shop and check out what kind of gift packs are doing the rounds in the markets. Packets with 5 pieces of “Anaar”, “phuljharis” and “laddis” are being sold freely in the market. The more shameful thing is that there are proper brand names under which they are selling. 

Makes you wonder what kind of a world are we living in? Yes, the emotion is mutual! The moral of the story is “Don’t gift firecrackers” to each other be it friends or family. It will be a much brighter and happier Diwali without that.

5. As you give, you receive…

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This is the one final word we want to have with you! Avoid giving last years Diwali gifts to people this year because there is always a huge risk that you might end up giving the “same” gift back to the “same” person. Needless to say, it does not reflect well on you if you get caught committing this petty act during the Diwali gift exchange. 

What goes around, comes around, so don’t be a miser while giving out gifts. We are not asking you to spend beyond what your pocket allows but try to be as creative as possible within your budget. Remember, the end goal is to enjoy the festival with friends and family(with or without gifts). Wishing you a very joyful Diwali 2019!