What Gifts Do Italians Give for a Housewarming?
The Italian tradition of giving symbolic gifts to a family moving into a new home goes back centuries. Anybody who has seen Frank Capra's iconic "It's a Wonderful Life" remembers the Baileys welcoming the Martini Family into their new home with gifts of bread, wine and salt. These and other presents represent specific wishes of good luck to the family. Here are some examples of gifts with housewarming inspirations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Bread and Wine
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Bread and wine represent the hope that the family will never see hunger or thirst while in the home. Any type of bread or wine will do.
Broom
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A broom is a common housewarming gift across the world. The broom represents sweeping away evil from the house.
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Salt
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People give salt as a housewarming gift. The first reason is so the house will always know flavor; it represents the spice of life. The second reason is to sprinkle salt across the threshold to bring good luck and ward off evil, the same reason people sometimes throw salt over their left shoulder.
Honey
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Another common housewarming gift in Italy and other cultures is honey. People give honey to wish a sweet life for the members of the household.
Coins
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Well-wishers give coins or other money to friends as a housewarming gift in the hopes that they will find prosperity and never know want.
Rice
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Give rice as a hope for fertility and a healthy family. People traditionally throw rice at a newly married couple for the same reason.
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References
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