It feels like barely a week goes by without there being some reason to buy some sort of gift or greetings card. I’m sure it used to be just Birthdays and Christmas. Now we go to great lengths to celebrate baby showers, travel half way around the world on stag/hen night and have new pet parties (ok, so maybe not the last one – give it time).

One of the oldest and most enduring traditions is housewarming. Historically, a commemoration to bestow blessings and good fortune on the home of the new couple – although few of us ever stay in one place for life anymore. And many cultures have some odd practices – like giving a rooster, bag of salt or broom.

I’d probably stick to the greetings card and a bottle of wine, but each of these traditional gifts has it’s own symbolic meaning. The infographic below shows what different countries do (developed by our friends at Column Five for MyMove) and gives an interesting summary.

Olive oil will apparently help keep our partner faithful. Could be worth baring in mind when doing the breakfast fry-up…

Click infographic to enlarge