Retirement Gifts That Will Strike A Smile!
Ah, the joy of retirement! After putting in decades of hard work, it is finally time to sit back and relax. Do you know someone who is about to retire?
A nice retirement gift is a perfect way to congratulate a senior on their long career. No matter who it is that is retiring, they deserve a gift after years of hard work!
Retirement parties are very common and are a great way to celebrate all the years of work that someone has completed.
Perhaps you are celebrating someone at your office who is retiring, or you have a friend, parent, or grandparent who is about to retire, or maybe a veteran celebrating a birthday.
Either way, a gift is an appropriate thing to bring to a get-together.
Are you completely unsure of what to get someone as a retirement gift? No problem! Our team has specially curated this list of gifts that are perfect for anyone who is retiring.
We have thought of everything - from fun activities they can enjoy now that they have free time (think bikes or camping!), to items that will help them to finally relax, there is something for everyone!
Are retirement gifts a must when attending a retiree's party?
In some respects, a retirement party is just like any other, and in other respects, it’s totally a one-off, so getting the etiquette right, so the party goes with a swing is most important.
Here are some pointers to make a retirement party a memorable success.
1. Hosting the Event
If you’re the one hosting the retirement party ensure that no-one is expected to pay for the privilege of attending.
If it’s held in a restaurant or a bar make sure that everyone knows you are picking up the tab.
If the retirement party is a company-coordinated event, then generally the company will pick up the bill.
If not it’s those that are putting on the event for the retiree who will pay all the costs involved.
Try and send out invitations at least four weeks in advance of the party.
2. Remember Who It’s For
With lots of people milling around drinking and feasting on the food it’s straightforward to forget why you’re there and the purpose of the party.
Everything needs to be focused on the guest of honor, the retiree. Whatever you organize for the party, you should never steal the spotlight from the person you are honoring with the party.
If the retiree is self-effacing and not generally the soul of the party, try and get them out of their shell.
Make sure they talk to all the guests, act as an escort, so they get to talk with everyone at the party, so none of the guests feels they’ve been left out or ignored.
3. Be Happy
When someone reaches an age when they can happily retire, then it should be a joyous event.
It should be a time of smiles and celebrations, and not an opportunity to talk about work any grievances and problems you may have.
It’s also not appropriate to talk about your own retirement plans unless you are specifically asked by the guest of honor.
How you are going to commemorate your retirement, and what you intend to do in your retirement years has no consequence for the retiree you are there to celebrate.
Participate as much as you can in the joy of the retiree being honored.
4. Dress Code
When the host sends out invitations, there may be no specific dress code mentioned, so take it that they are expecting you to turn up wearing something best described as business casual.
However, there is a trend in retirement parties that they have a theme, which can mean a fancy dress or at least smart casual.
Gifting Tips
The question then remains what to bring as a gift for the retiree. It really depends on how well you know the person being honored by the retirement party.
If you are not someone very close to the person, then something small and inexpensive will suffice.
For co-workers, it’s often more comfortable for the group to have a collection, and then each person can put into the pot what they feel is appropriate.
Then the group can buy a retirement present that each one of them could not individually afford.
The classic retirement gift is a gold watch. A timepiece like that is symbolic of the retiree’s years working for an organization and is supposed to be a metaphorical and actual reminder of how time passes.
Not so many people are into pocket watches these days, and even wristwatches are out of style among some people.
If you are looking for a gift that has the same significance as the classic watch, how about considering something that is also time-related.
Most people use their cell phone as a watch, so why not consider a new smartphone or a tech gadget as a retirement gift. It also means the retiree can stay in touch with colleagues.
A great parting gift would be to have all their coworkers add their numbers to the phone before the presentation.
You could also consider a clock, but not the traditional kind, something more of a novelty to bring an air of humor to the retirement party.
Or if the retiree has a particular hobby, maybe a clock that has connections with that hobby will do the trick.
Knowing a little about the retiree’s plans for their retirement can help with deciding on a gift.
Many people take retirement as a chance to adopt a hobby they never had time for when at work. So think of a gift that might help them with that in the future.
Obvious suggestions would be a set of golf clubs, and maybe some fishing poles.
However, it’s probably better to think more out of the box and make the gift memorable.
There are lots of experience gifts you can give for retirees who want to discover new activities, such as fishing or cooking, or some tennis coaching!
