How to plan Deepavali gifts for 50 people
Make one list, set three budgets, and order before the third week of October.
Choosing a hamper for someone you hardly know
A new manager, a neighbour, your child’s teacher: safe choices when you do not know someone’s tastes.
Most gifts are for people we know well. The hard ones are for people we hardly know: a new manager, the family next door, a client, your child’s class teacher. Here is what we suggest.
Avoid strong personal choices. Perfume, clothing, alcohol and religious idols all depend on taste and belief. Food that almost everyone eats is safer, as long as it is vegetarian and free of egg. Our laddoo box at ₹690 and roasted pistachios at ₹1,350 are the two most common choices for people whose diet we do not know.
Add one useful object. A brass diya, a cotton hand towel, a steel tumbler or a small wooden box will be used long after the sweets are gone, and they do not presume anything about the person. Our brass lotus diya hamper at ₹3,200 is the one clients choose most for senior colleagues. Keep the note short and specific. Two lines that mention something real, such as thanks for helping with the school project in August, mean more than a printed festival greeting. We write the note by hand in English, Kannada, Tamil or Hindi.
Finally, think about the budget relative to the relationship. A very expensive gift for a teacher or a manager can make them uncomfortable. For most such gifts, ₹700 to ₹1,500 is about right.
