Serving northern Calvert & southern Anne Arundel counties in Maryland,   Calvert Hospital,   all local Funeral Homes,   North Beach,   Chesapeake Beach,   Fairhaven,   Friendship,   Rose Haven,   Herrington Harbour,   Owings,   Sunderland,   Huntingtown,   Breezy Point,   the Willows  &  Dunkirk.

A gift is a voluntary act which does not require anything in return.
By extension the term gift can refer to anything that makes the other happier or less sad, especially as a favour, including forgiveness and kindness (even when the other is not kind).

When material objects are given as gifts, in many cultures they are traditionally packaged in some manner. For example, in Western culture, gifts are often wrapped in wrapping paper and accompanied by a gift note which may note the occasion, the giftee's name, and the giver's name. In Chinese culture, red wrapping connotes luck.

The occasion for gifts may be:

* Expression of love or friendship
* Expression of gratitude for a gift received
* Expression of solidarity, in the form of mutual aid
* To share wealth
* To offset misfortune
* Offering travel souvenirs
* Custom, on occasions (often celebrations) such as

o A birthday
o A potlatch, in societies where status is associated with gift-giving rather than acquisition.
o Christmas
o Saint Nicholas
o A wedding
o A wedding anniversary (each spouse receives gifts)
o A funeral
o A birth
o Passing an examination
o Father's Day
o Mother's Day
o Exchange of gifts between a guest and a host, often a traditional practice

It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.
~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

THE GIFT GIVING CULTURE OF JAPAN

Gift giving has often been associated in Western culture with the celebration of events or holidays. While giving social gifts has gained popularity in recent years it does not compare to the gift giving culture of Japan.

Japanese people are well known for their graciousness and this extends to the common act of gift giving. In Japan the presentation of a gift is as of much importance as the gift itself. Showing respect to the receiver, even small tokens are often wrapped with great care and attention. Accepting gifts is an act of extreme appreciation on the part of the receiver and humility from the giver, presented and accepted in both hands.

Serving - Breezy Point, MD - Chaneyville, MD - Chesapeake Beach, MD - Fairhaven, MD - Friendship, MD - Herrington Harobour, MD - Huntingtown, MD - Mt Harmony, MD - North Beach, MD - Owings, MD - Paris, MD - Plume Point, MD - Poplars, MD - Rose Haven, MD - Sunderland, MD - Willows, MD - Wilson, MD

Richard's Bayside Florist
         Gifts and Gallery
410-257-0207    301-855-7505

Serving the community for over 30 years
Fresh flowers, unique gift ideas
Gallery of local artists
Featuring "Harbour Lights" lighthouses
Year-round Christmas room