The Diwali gift that lights up every household adding to the festivities

In October, you can see cars running on the road with colourful Diwali gift boxes stacked over one another on the back seat. On the side lane, two-wheelers will zip past you with a pillion rider holding the Diwali gift boxes trying to keep his balance under its weight. The sign is an indication that Diwali is around the corner with thirsty souls in the office and at home waiting to receive their Diwali gifts.

The Diwali gift is a tradition that has carried on for years and is still going strong. Every year new gifts keep appearing on the horizon while the older ones die a natural death. In this evolution process, few gifts have still managed to survive like a dry fruit or a mithai box. But some are virtually on the stage of extinction like a steam iron or a hand blender.

So, let’s see how this evolution of the gift boxes has shaped our Diwali.

The mithai box is still one of the favourite Diwali gifts

From Pista to Kaju ki barfi and from Ladoo to Patisa there is a whole variety that is packed in a Diwali gift box. However, don’t get excited on receiving a mithai box as a Diwali Gift. Open the wrapper and see what kind of mithai is inside the box. Remember that the mithai indicates where you stand in the gifter’s list of importance.

If the mithai happens to be a Pista or a Kaju ki barfi, it means you score high on the social status and are important to the gifter. But if the mithai happens to be a box of Ladoo then it means you are still considered a part of the masses and have to work hard to improve your ranking in the gifter’s list.

On the other hand, if the mithai box happens to be that of Soan Papdi then please don’t doubt yourself. It’s time you should doubt the gifter. If the gifter happens to be a corporate body then it means that the company is going through a bad phase of the business cycle. And if the gifter is an individual then it means he believes in recycling.

Soan Papdi is a mithai that is prepared with a lot of effort. Unfortunately, it has been a butt of a joke off-late on social media. People who receive Soan Papdi as a Diwali gift recycle by passing it on to others in their social circle. And in case if there are multiple boxes then the giftee may negotiate a deal with the next-door mithai-wala to change it with a mithai of his choice.

Dry fruits the evergreen Diwali gift

The unique thing about dry fruits as a Diwali gift is not the item itself but the packing boxes it comes in. The larger-than-life-size packing boxes come in all shapes from square, rectangular, circular to hexagonal. They are beautifully designed with colourful laces and have 4-8 compartments filled up with different kinds of dry fruits. The boxes are so well fabricated that at times one doesn’t feel like discarding them.

The premium gift boxes of dry fruits are packed with Cashews, Almonds, Pista, and Walnut kernels. The not-so-premium boxes carry Raisins instead of Pista and Figs instead of Walnut kernels. Packed in a colorful gift wrapper, the size of the box is not an indication of the quantity inside. There are times when the giftee feels delighted looking at the size of the gift box. But on opening the box his hopes are dashed as the compartment size is too small for the dry fruits.

The shine of a cutlery set and glassware

Diwali is a time that when the local markets are flooded with imported glassware items from China. From a flower vase to a tea set and from a cocktail set to decanters everything is available on the shelf. People negotiate the price with the shopkeepers as most items are purchased in bulk for the Diwali gift. However, when the Diwali gift is presented to friends in the neighbourhood there are times when the exclusivity of the gift is lost as the neighbour had also purchased it from the same shop.

Households that receive such gifts end up increasing their inventory every year. It’s the mom who decides what will go in the inventory and what will be used. Since her kitchen is already overflowing with glass items and cutlery sets, she decides to keep the gift in store for future use. The gift is finally recycled and passed on to other families at a housewarming or a wedding reception party.

The Chocolate box

One company that makes a decent sale around Diwali is none other than Cadburys. Chocolates as a Diwali gift is a no-brainer. If a company or an individual has run out of ideas for a Diwali gift then they can simply buy a box of Chocolates that come in various shapes and sizes. The only problem with chocolates as a gift is that the giftee can easily identify the net worth of the box as the chocolates inside are individual packs each with its MRP mentioned. To overcome this problem a gifter may go for hand-made chocolates. But the overall perceived value of chocolate as a gift box is low.

Off-late an Italian brand has entered the race – Ferrero Rocher and it’s giving a good fight to Cadburys. Considered premium chocolate, its unique double-decker, and a squarish box can be easily identified even with the wrapper. A double-decker has 16 units while a squarish one has 24 units. The smile on the giftee’s face is bigger if he can feel the squarish shape of the box.

The Designer candles

Designer scented candles are a recent entrant on the evolution chart. It has caught the attention of the gifter in the last decade. The gift is targeted mostly at the evolved society. The giftees most of the time are however confused on whether to use the gift as a showcase item or whether to use it for lighting. Designer candles are the star attraction of the Blind relief mela in New Delhi. On the other hand, the designer scented candles have given business ideas to many; from celebrities like Twinkle Khanna to the next-door Sharma aunty.

The extinct categories of the Diwali gift

Certain Diwali gifts were very popular once but simply have faded away with time. From a wall clock to kitchen appliances like mixie, toaster or a hand blender have died a natural death. The ones that have recently become popular are home decoration items, the reason why companies like Home Centre are doing robust business.

People who are important in business or relations are often presented with expensive gift items like a Swiss watch or a Mont Blanc pen. But these are more on a one-to-one basis.

So, this Diwali have you decided on the gift that you would like to present. Here is wishing you a very Happy Diwali.

Click on the following link and enjoy reading more such stories:

The Gifting culture that bonds people of all age groups

A Happiness Quotient with the festival season

Check out Cadburys chocolates on the following link:

https://www.cadburygifting.in/diwali-gifts.html