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Gift is
something given voluntarily without payment
in return, as to show favor toward someone,
honor an occasion, or make a gesture of
assistance.
Marriage gift is
a present given to someone getting married.
It may be presented to bride or groom
or both of them.
Wedding
favors are small gifts
given as a gesture of appreciation or
gratitude to guests from the bride and
groom during a wedding ceremony or a wedding
reception.
The tradition of distributing marriage
gifts is
a very old one. It is believed that the
first wedding favor, common amongst European
aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere.
A bonbonniere is a small trinket box made
of crystal, porcelain, and/or precious
stones. The contents of these precious
boxes were generally sugar cubes or delicate
confections, which symbolize wealth and
royalty. (In this era, sugar was an expensive
commodity and was treasured only among
the wealthy. It was believed that sugar
contained medical benefits. As the
price of sugar decreased throughout centuries,
the tradition of providing gifts to guests
reached the general populace and was embraced
by couples of modest means. As
sugar became more affordable, bonbonnieres
were replaced with almonds. For centuries,
almonds were commonly distributed to wedding
guests to signify well wishes on the bridegroom’s
new life. In the thirteenth century, almonds
coated with sugar, known as confetti,
were introduced. Traditionally, five Jordan
almonds are presented in a confection
box or wrapped in elegant fabric to represent
fertility, longevity, wealth, health and
happiness.
Today, gifts to guests are commonly known
as marriage gifts and
are shared in cultures worldwide. Wedding
favors have become a part of wedding reception
planning, especially in the United States
and Canada. Wedding favors are diverse
and usually complement the theme or season
of the event. Classic favors can range
from the classic sugared almonds or individual
chocolates to candles and scented soaps.
The importance
of and demand for wedding favors has created
a new category of business in the wedding
industry where thousands of sites compete
selling just wedding favors. Wedding favors
have surpassed the term ‘trend’
and have become commonplace among today’s
weddings. "Wedding favors are no
longer a niche market in the wedding industry.
In fact, many wedding favor retailers
would probably agree that it is become
an industry of its own." (Reference:
Wikipedia) |
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