Buying gifts for someone who is religious gives you a wonderful opportunity to find something that will be treasured for a long time to come. People who are devoted to their religion will find special meaning in gifts that have religious symbols or that reflect some aspect of their religious beliefs. However, you want to ensure that you find a great gift that will be meaningful to the person you are shopping for. Here are some tips to help.
Guide to Finding the Perfect Gift for Someone who is Religious
If you are shopping for a special someone in your life that is religious, here are some things to consider and steps to take to find the right gift:
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Learn about the religious symbols for that person’s religion. Each different religion has symbols that have meanings to practitioners who hold particular religious beliefs. You can use the Religious Symbols Gallery from Religion Facts to find out the different symbols and to learn the meaning of each. By learning what the different symbols mean, you can find what message you can communicate by choosing gifts that carry a particular religious symbol. You should choose something that you know will matter to or inspire the person you are giving the gift to or select a symbol that is representative in some way of your relationship with the recipient of the gift.
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Consider the occasion. There are certain traditional religious symbols that are associated with important holidays within the religion. The Interfaith Calendar provides a list of religious holidays for many different religions. If you are giving a gift for a special occasion or for a religious holiday, learning the background behind the celebration will help you to decide on an appropriate gift that is in keeping with the meaning of the special event. You can then visit Your Holy Land Store in order to find a gift that goes along with the specific religious holiday. Giving a gift that can be used as a part of the festivities will ensure that your recipient gets a lot of use out of it and that the recipient of the gift thinks about you each year during a special celebration that has meaning in his or her life.
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Think about what the recipient of the gift means to you. You are giving a gift that has religious meaning, but it should also be a gift that is reflective of the unique bond that you share with the person who is receiving the item. You can find religious-themed products of many different types, but the one that will be treasured the most is the one that best speaks to your relationship.
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Consider what items the religious person may already own. It is very common for religious people to already have items that are characteristic of their religion. For example, a person who is a devout catholic probably already has a cross and a person who is a devout Jewish person probably already has a menorah. You should consider the items that the person is likely to have and decide if your gift is different than those items or will add value. For example, you could buy a new cross or a new menorah for someone who already has these items if the new present that you are buying brings something new, different and special to the table.
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Think about the age of the gift recipient. Children tend to have a different understanding of their religion and a different level of the depth of their religious beliefs than adults do since children are still learning about the religion. You will want to ensure that you buy an age appropriate gift. If the gift is for an occasion like a Bar or Bat Mitzvah or for a First Communion or Confirmation, then you may be able to select a gift that reflects this important transition and that is something that the recipient can have for the rest of his or her life.
By keeping these different considerations in mind, you can find the perfect gift for the person in your life. Religious beliefs are very personal and an individual’s relationship with his or her religion is often very important. Getting a religious gift for someone shows that you understand the role that religion plays in their life, especially if you are thoughtful and think about the meaning behind the gift.
About the author:
Stephanie Alan is a teacher and blogger. She teaches at a small, private religious school and understand the role religion plays in some people’s lives.
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