Sempronia Hobgood

I don’t know about you, but Autumn is my favorite time of the year. The time where the leaves change colors, the weather cools down, and the tops are put on the swimming pool for the season. It’s a time of beauty and to celebrate the end of another fun summer with family and friends. In the United States it brings about the new school year for children and teachers, and Pumpkin Spice takes over everything around us. But how do people celebrate beloved autumn traditions around the world?  Where can you attend a Regatta, watching traditional boat races with all of your friends and family? Where can you get a pint of beer and a Bavarian pretzel to share with your loved one? And where might you fill your belly with a garlic heavy meal to ward off evil spirits on St. Andrews Day? 

With so many autumn holidays and traditions to choose from, it was hard to narrow down all of the fun things I wanted to share with you. Here are my top five traditions I’ve added to my own bucket list and I’m sure you will love them too.  Follow me around the world as we celebrate the changing of the leaves, the changing of the seasons, and Fall Traditions sure to bring a smile to your face. 

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Beloved Autumn Traditions Around the WorldRead More »

Deepavali, otherwise known as Diwali, is a five day festival of lights, love and celebration. Coinciding with the Hindu New Year, Diwali in India is celebrated by millions of Jain, Sikh, and Hindu people. It is a time of new beginnings, and the triumph of good versus evil and light versus darkness. Millions of people around the world participate in the festivities of Diwali through fireworks, prayer and celebrational events every autumn. For the current year, Diwali falls between Sunday October 27th and Thursday October 31st, 2019. The date does change every year as it follows the Lunar calendar instead of the Gregorian Calendar. Each day holds its own individual meaning, with the third day being the most import of them all.  

There are many different meanings and reasons for the Indian holiday. Some people celebrate Diwali as it honors Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. They pray for a good and prosperous year for themselves and their loved ones. For Hindus, Diwali is a celebration honoring the return of deities Rama and Sita to Ayodhya after a fourteen year exile. For others, it’s a celebration of the day Mother Goddess Durga destroyed and eradicated the Demon called Mahisha, a buffalo demon who could shape-shift into different forms. 

In the countries that celebrate Diwali, festivals are held where people congregate to light up the streets and enjoy food, and the New Year, but for those that live outside of the area, it can be difficult to know what to do. Fear not my reader friends, I have a list of things you can do from anywhere to help welcome the Hindu New Year and celebrate a prosperous 2020. 

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Celebrating Diwali in IndiaRead More »

There are forms of Easter celebrated all over the world. And you don’t have to be religious to have some form of family gathering, or celebration. However in Mexico this time of year brings a holiday that is second only to Christmas. From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday people in Spain celebrate something called Semana Santa, a holy week filled with celebrations that are a mix of Catholic and Christian. This year Semana Santa falls during April 14th to April 20th. But what is Semana Santa? How do people celebrate Santa Semana in Mexico and around the world? Where is it celebrated? What is the difference between Easter and Semana Santa? Here’s our guide to everything you need to know!

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Celebrating Semana Santa in Mexico & Worldwide – Beyond EasterRead More »

If you live in the US, I know you might already be tired of Christmas songs in every major retail store. It seems like it starts earlier and earlier every year. So I promise, there’s no playlist with overplayed holiday music anywhere on this page. But I do warn you, we are talking about Christmas, so much Christmas. So if you want to wait until December 1st, go ahead and save this for later. But if, like our team at GBO, you are trying to make sure you have the most stellar holiday to date: read on! I can say that since I started working for GiftBasketsOverseas 5 years ago I’ve learned so much more to help me fall in love with the holiday season all over again. What better time to share than now? If you’ve ever wondered how to celebrate Christmas in other countries, I’m here to give you some answers. What are the best Christmas gifts to send to your friends overseas? I’m helping there too. From sake, to mistletoe, fruitcake, to decorations, below we talk about some of the unique Christmas traditions around the world for the countries we deliver to the most!

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Unique Christmas Traditions Around The WorldRead More »

Let’s face it: we could all use a “spa day” once in a while. Today’s world moves so fast that people wear themselves out balancing work, family, and other responsibilities. With all of the stresses of everyday life, it’s important to take some time for ourselves and just relax. But while we may need it, only a few of us actually have the time (or money) to be pampered with professional spa treatments. But that’s OK. Keep reading to learn our top spa gift basket tips.

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The Art Of Spa Day – Spa Gift Basket Tips for HomeRead More »

Sending a gift to another part of the world isn’t as complicated as you think. Sure, there’s a lot to consider: local gifting customs, holidays, traditions, etc. But that stuff is a lot easier to navigate than you think. To help, we’re giving you a cheat-sheet about traditional gifts to Cyprus. Here’s our quick reference to Cyprus gift traditions: what you should send, when you should send it, and a brief history about why.

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Unwrapping Cyprus – A Guide To Cyprus Gift TraditionsRead More »

If you’ve ever wondered just what the differences are between Halloween vs Day of the Dead, don’t worry! Tons of people have asked exactly that. To be honest, as someone who spent my life in the middle of Generic Small Town, USA, I was one of them.  I can say that while I knew there WAS a difference, I couldn’t have told you what that was exactly.

Until the middle of college, my only experience with Dia de los Muertos was a Spanish teacher groaning every time I messed up the pronunciation. I was a kid raised on Halloween. Candy, costumes, pumpkins, and scary movies! So if you’d like to know a little bit more to better understand Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, look no further. Here are some of the most popular questions I could find put together for you in one handy blog!

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Halloween vs Day Of The DeadRead More »

Continuing our tour through the world, gift by gift, we’ve landed in Greece. A beautiful and rich country, Greece is the go-to destination for many tourists. But that raises the question: how do you spoil people who live in a beautiful nation nestled near the sea? Along with that, how do you surprise friends and business partners with gifts? Additionally, what rules are there for sending a gift basket? Finally, what holidays are you forgetting?

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How to Celebrate Greek Name DaysRead More »

Finding the perfect gift for friends, family, and business associates can feel daunting. We all want to do our very best to impress, and that’s hard even for people you know nearly as well as you know yourself. For someone miles away, it can feel impossible. When you’re navigating gift-giving culture in UAE, or the United Arab Emirates, if you’ve never visited (and even if you have), you likely have a ton of questions. To make things easy when you’re sending gifts to UAE, we’ve created a quick and easy cheat sheet for you to follow.

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An Easy Guide To Sending Gifts To UAERead More »

Do I Have To? Your Guide to Wedding Cakes, Bachelorette Parties & Bridal Season

You’re part of the bridal party, and you’ve found it’s more like a bridal army since you’re in charge of tactical decisions like: how many wedding cakes can we taste, are these the best flowers for the bouquet, and really – penis straws? If you’re her best friend, her maid of honor, or have somehow become a colleague’s impromptu wedding planner: this starter guide to wedding planning is for you.

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Do I Have To? How to survive Bridal Plans & Wedding CakesRead More »