There are many events over the holiday season when you feel indebted to bring a gift. You want them to feel extraordinary, to know that you appreciate them, and to stop for a moment during their busy host undertakings to let the joy of the season sink in. Cut flowers add color and delight for a time. There is always the choice of potted plants that last long after the party. Either one will make for a festive host and hostess gift.
The gift of flowers could certainly be traced back to the beginning of time. In different cultures, flowers can have diverse meanings. In Ancient Greece, it was believed that flowers belonged to the Gods. Today, flowers are given for much more than expressing love and appreciation.
A beautiful bouquet of flowers that asks nothing from an exhausted host but their delight can be the perfect gift. The flowers do not have to be Christmas oriented. Really, the host more than likely already has the house all decked out with Christmas themed flowers for the party. Why not think about the host or hostesses home. What colors do they decorate in? Is their style traditional, contemporary, and modern or a mix of many styles? How about their garden or landscaping outside? What kind of plants and flowers do they use there? Of course,
if you live anywhere but Florida you may have to wait until spring to know this one.
Vase or no vase, that is a good question. Though it seems it would be easier for the host or hostess to receive the lenience of flowers in a vase all wrapped up and ready to display, this may not be so. Receiving flowers anytime is a very special event in and of itself.
There is absolutely no shame or disappointments in showing up with that ever noted big white box with beautiful long stemmed flowers wrapped delicately in tissue paper. I would lean towards the ready to go vase though, it makes life just a bit easier this time of year.
Remember, the ideal hostess gift is tasteful and elegant, reflecting the presumed good taste of the host or hostess, and it is something that the recipient would not personally buy for him or herself.
