Our dinning room hutch cabinet is full of crystal wares that we have received as gifts from persons who visit us for dinner or come to stay with us as guests. These crystal look beautiful. However,there is a limit to the number of these crystal dishes one can use in the house. I am sure we will never use most of these gifts. The only beneficiary of this gift giving is the manufacturer of the crystals like Mikasa. Some times we pass on these gifts when we go to other people houses without even opening them. The only change being a new wrapping paper. The package keep traveling from house to house in its eternal journey without ever being used. There is always a danger of giving the gift back to the original purchaser by accident.
Another tradition which has developed over the years is of giving men dress shirts or kurta shalwar as a present. I have found that these items also stay in your dresser. Usually the shirts do not fit at the collar or at the sleeves. In addition, how many kurta shalwars you need to wear in USA. You only have two Eids in a year. I am so happy that the new wedding invitations specifically ask that no boxed gifts be brought to the wedding or some other occasion. The wedding couple collects checks or cash that they either use to buystuff or some other needs. However, they miss out on some of the memorable gifts, which become precious with time.
I still have anduse four of the six glasses that my friend gave us as wedding present 35 years ago. These glasses have traveled most of the world in our luggage. The other two broke sometime back. The glasses are not expensive but with time they have a history.I remember back in Pakistan, the relatives used to give unstitchedcloth as gifts for the wedding. The cloth material also used to be passed on from wedding to wedding. Perhaps, now we have replaced the cloth with the crystal. It would be nice to get some feedback about your experience withcrystal gifts.
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