Traditional Irish Housewarming Gifts That Will Bring Irish Hospitality To The Lucky Recipient’s New Home
When Irish people move into a new home, friends and family traditionally gather with gifts that portray meanings of protection, health, abundance, and luck. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard “luck of the Irish!” at least once in your life. ;)
The Irish are widely regarded as warm, friendly and welcoming folk. So much so that there’s even the stereotype of Irish hospitality being well known.
If you’re lucky enough to be friends with one who has just moved into their new home, it’s time to celebrate their new milestone with new home gifts that marries Irish blessing, tradition, culture, and function!
9 Irish Housewarming Gifts to Celebrate Your Irish Loved Ones’ New Home
1. Bread and a Bottle of Salt
Much like Italian housewarming gifts, a loaf of bread together with a container of salt enjoys a long-time status as one of the Irish's traditional housewarming gifts. The bread symbolises hope for the new homeowners to never go hungry, while the sale represents a wish for their life to be ever so flavoursome.
Quite simply, it sends the gift recipient a wish of abundance and luck in the adventures life may bring.
2. A Bottle of Wine or Irish Whiskey
Wine is one of the most classic Irish housewarming gifts and with good reason! In Irish tradition, wine typically represents a wish for the lucky recipient’s joy and prosperity to reign forever.
Pair the bottle of wine (or two) with a wine glass set to make it a thoughtful and functional gift. Don’t forget, sometimes moving into a new home could mean in with the new, out with the old!
3. A Set of Mugs
A beautiful set of mugs would come into handy especially if you know they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! This is a thoughtful gift that they can use as a daily thirst quencher, be it for water or a fresh pint.
4. Claddagh Ornaments or Rings
The Claddagh is a traditional Irish symbol that is made out of of two clasped hands holding a crowned heart. It is said to be originally created by Richard Joyce who was from the Joyce family, one of the tribes of Galway, Ireland.
Each part that makes up the Claddagh contains a meaning behind it. The heart represents love, the hands represent friendship, and the crown represents loyalty. All in all, it is a warm Irish housewarming gift that aims to bless the new home.
5. Shamrock Plant
The humble shamrock is a symbol of luck and Irish heritage. Gifting the new Irish homeowners a potted shamrock plant is a beautiful gesture that wishes blessings of luck upon them in their new house.
Plus point if they have a green thumb - it’s a gift they are bound to love, and one that will add a warm touch of life to their home. Pair it with a beautiful pottery vase to make it an extra meaningful one, especially if the vase was your very own craft!
6. New Cookware and an Irish Cookbook
One of the important points to remember when it comes to Irish housewarming gifts is to wish the new homeowner a life of plenty. This means plenty to eat, plenty of laughter, love, light, and warmth.
And a new set of cookware is one that truly embodies all of it because delicious homemade meals truly gather people around with plenty to eat, while laughter, light, and warmth follows when a community full of love gathers.
7. Irish Blessing Plaque
Decorative plaques that feature traditional Irish blessings or sayings about the home are popular traditional Irish housewarming gifts. This is because gifts of blessings are rooted heavily in Irish culture.
8. Candles
You can never go wrong with a set of scented candles as a housewarming gift. Not only does it represent a gift of light and warmth, it will also envelop their home with a luxurious scent they can unwind to at the end of a long day.
9. Celtic Wall Art
A piece of artwork or print that celebrates Irish culture like the Celtic knot or a painted landscape of Ireland makes for a beautiful addition to their new home. Just like the photograph of the Isle of Man above!
