How did gift baskets become the best way to both ‘close the deal’ and send cheer to a distant relative, the most delicious way to say “Congratulations” and “Happy Holidays,” and the most common way of celebrating the Easter Holiday? Gift baskets have a long history, stretching back to as early as circa 8000 BC when baskets were used by our ancestral hunters and gatherers to carry fruits, nuts, grains, fish, and other scrumptious consumables. Might we imagine the proto-human leaving a basket full of such hard-won goodies for his doting grandmother outside her cave?
In ancient Greece, Canephorae, or maiden basket-bearers, would carry gifts and offerings in baskets poised upon their heads as sacrifice for the Athenian gods and goddess. In fact, the term Canephorae today refers to representations in architecture of human figures holding gift-laden baskets on their heads. Today’s Easter Basket stems from a similar tradition—that of the ancient spring-time custom of carrying seeds in a basket to the temple for blessing, in effort to ensure a bountiful harvest in the cultivating season to come.
Baskets were initially created for utilitarian purposes; but basket making quickly evolved into an art form involving a variety of patterns, shapes, sizes, and colors. Though baskets are made from a variety of organic and synthetic materials today, they were originally made from wood, bamboo, or fibrous leaves and grasses.
Basket use—for both practical and aesthetic purposes—has endured not only through time, but also across cultures. South American and Native American cultures have historically made use of baskets both practically and ceremonially, and still do so today. Both Middle and Far Eastern cultures have been making beautiful baskets with unique designs for thousands of years. In addition, if you visit any African village today, you will find women carrying their goods to and from the market in large, hand-woven baskets which sit securely upon their heads.
How amazing to consider that, however many evolutions baskets have gone through since the early days of woven containers, baskets are still used for important purposes today, such as offering delicious edibles and meaningful messages to friends, family, and colleagues. Perhaps the enduring nature of gift baskets lies in the fact that they speak so well for themselves, offering such sentiments as “Thank you,” “I’m sorry,” “Get well,” and “Way to go!” when filled with gourmet cakes, bright flowers, cookies and tea, or wine and cheese. When you select a gift basket for a certain special someone, keep in mind that you are participating in a historically and culturally universal tradition!
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