gift for italian host/hostess
 

I will be staying with an Italian family next month for a few days. I've known the son for some time but I've never met the parents and was looking for ideas on "American-style" host/hostess gifts. Any suggestions?

Gift might depend on your age as you give it to the friend's parents. Are you an adult? A food item, or collection of items that travel well that's unique to where you come from might be a nice thing to share, since they will be opening their home and their local food offerings to you when you visit. A good quality US wine or liquor might be nice as well.

We have Italian friends for whom we also search for host/hostess gifts. The wife really likes Christmas decorations. She tells us they do not have much in that line. We started giving her holiday houses in the Blue Sky line. I would not try to compete with their linens--that's what she usually gives us. Once I gave her some wonderful hand-made windchimes which she liked a lot--do they live in a house or an apartment? I have been told by a friend who has been visiting friends in Italy since he was in college (he's now 40-something) that nice fluffy towel sets are appreciated, though we haven't gone that route, yet. Does your friend like to sew? Michaela was here last week and was fascinated by Jo-Anns fabrics. Took back decorative buttons, etc. and says our cotton fabrics are one third the price as those in Florence. She made lists of things she was going to get next trip. Her husband likes to fish and we have given him fishing flies.
I do know that the gifts do not have to be elaborate or expensive---just American. Some of the simplest things we take for granted are not common there. One of the things Michaela took back was a bag of bagels because she can't get them in Florence!

I'm 43 and the people we will be staying with are in their 60's and from what I've heard, enjoy unusual and novel items they don't find in Italy. For example- AquaFresh tooth paste- don't have striped toothpaste in Italy. While I want to get something quite a bit nicer than a tube of toothpaste, any other suggestions? I like the food idea

AS a gift to my host(s)
I have given maple syrup in mapleleaf shaped bottles or maple sugar candy
(can you tell i am from the NE area)

and another time took over a book chronicling the seasons in vermont (photos)

Items particular to the area you come from are always an interest.

Have fun!!

I've brought lots of different gifts for family and friends of all ages, usually trying to find something made in the U.S. and items that are typically American. These are some hostess-type gifts that I've given:

* Cranberry Glass vase (twice)
* American pewter serving dish
* Lenox candleholders
* Lenox candy dish with American type candies
* Ghiardelli chocolates

Hope this helps.

I bring my Italian friends something unique to my state, California. I found a website that sells nice books on California with color photos in a coffee-table style format. They are translated into French, Italian, German, Spanish, etc. I have brought both the French and Italian versions to my friends in the respective countries. Shirts and even a decorated kitchen towel or two would be very useful too. I would not bring wine, Italy is famous for wine and that would be something they would not want as they can get it there. Also, I have bought Tiffany bracelets for my two Italian lady friends (like sisters to me) that made magnificent Christmas gifts. Think something uniquely American and something that they can't get over there. Note that Italians aren't into lots of gifts - it is not the quantity but the quality. I always have to remember that because I tend to like to bring lots of stuff!

We've brought tea-towels (dishtowels), tea, & mugs with "our town" logos; tote bags, jam & local honey; smoked salmon from the Northwest & Canada; A local artist's print of "our town"; Girl Scout cookies, even Pepperidge Farm cookies.

Also baby clothes, toys, picture books in English; Everything was appreciated.

Huitres- does that website (for books) only sell California items?
Otherwise I would love to know the address.
If you can't post here, you can send to [email protected]-thanks

What you cannot take are CDs or DVDs. I bought some over there to practice my Italian with and found they don't work in our players and ours won't work in theirs. (I did finally find that they work on my computer, though.)

DO you mean audio CDs or CD-ROMs? American audio CDs definitely work in Italy and the rest of Europe, and vice-versa. I've played them myself many times. I always buy CDs in Europe and play them at home in the US. And think of all the European imports for sale in US music shops. (I'm clueless about CD-ROMs, because I've never tried.)

Hi nanb: The address for the books printed in different languages is: http://www.smithnoveltycompany.com. It is particular to California, perhaps they would be able to refer you to a similar supplier in your state -- Vermont is it? The books were a bit hit and wonderful to get in their own language! Also, magnets make a nice little gift too -- everyone has a refrigerator. You could probably find some unique ones particular to the NE. The acrylic or even the decorated tin design magnets are nice.

P.S. nanb.......I found out more about the language books. Bonechi is the publisher and there are a whole series of regions throughout the U.S. that are translated into multiple language books for purchase. I found titles such as "The Best of America", "New York", "Philadelphia", "Washington, D.C." etc. You might try typing in Bonechi on the web and perhaps you can find a local distributor for the books in your area.

Some friends of mine brought a book on their home region (Boulder, CO) as a house gift when they stayed at a house on Lake Como; this was very much appreciated.

We do have striped toothpaste in Italy, even AquaFresh. I believe the stripes were invented in France; I first encountered striped toothpaste 30 years ago when a friend brought a tube back from France (to Pittsburgh); I was fascinated.


best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

http://www.straughan.com

KT, I confess to not trying CD's.. I have done the DVD's and they don't work here and a friend took a lot of them from here to his godson in Europe and they did not work there.

Any suggestions for a gift to bring to a hotel that we will be staying at again this year would be helpful. I need to bring something that can be shared by several people i.e lobby staff. I had heard that Jelly Belly's were quite a big hit but don't know if that is still the case?
We leave next week so any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Grazie mille!

Money is the key to everything. If I am a regular repeat guest I act as if I was there for the first time, I always reward good service with generous tips.

Remember you're doing them the favour of staying there, you're the guest who is paying their wages, how strange to think about buying them a gift.

This is such a good question. I am going nuts trying to get gifts together for my husband's Italian family and for some friends we made last year. Based on my personal (20 yr) experience of taking gifts to Italy. They are VERY into LABELS!!! If you really want to make them happy, bring them something with a recognizable label on it.

These are some top choices - Guess? (coin purse, wallet, key fob, tee shirt), Anything Ralph Lauren especially all of those overly sweet perfumes, Calvin Klien - can't figure out that attraction but they LOVE the tee shirts with his name all over them, Gap clothing - but it has to say GAP (yes, they have GAP over there, but it is v. expensive) and then if you are looking for a gift for a child, they LOVE Osh Kosh but again it has to say OSH KOSH. This brand is so expensive in Italy that it is only avail. in the nicest shops!!! Hard to believe but true.

As nice gift for the hotel staff might be a box of See's candy, suckers or an assortment of nuts from Harry & David. Let's face facts the candy they have in Italy and Swizerland (yes, and England) is so superior to ours, but they do like it because it is different.

Huitres,
a belated thank you for the site info!
The smithnovely did not work, but I pulled a lot of sites up for bonechi and will browse them when I have time.

Thanks again!!