So you ask how did the origin of gift hampers in Australia come about....
Gift hampers or gift baskets as they are interchangeably referred to in Australia have their origins in historical times in Europe and the USA. Vincent Van Gogh, Voltaire, Ben Franklin and Albert Einstein have all had sayings attributed to them extolling the unique and pleasure giving qualities of this type of gift. Albert Einstein described sending one as “both creative and intelligent”.
Hampers are particularly popular in the US and their sales amount to a multi-billion dollar industry in that country. Australia is catching up, with hamper gifts becoming a very popular alternative to other types of presents. Finding popularity initially as a Christmas gift, gift hampers have now extended to other occasions such as birthdays, new baby occasions and as corporate rewards. Food or gourmet gift baskets still remain the most popular choice however, other themes such as pamper, gardening, etc. are popular when the giver is more closely associated with the recipient.
Hampers however also have a charitable tradition. In Victorian Britain, the tradition was for wealthy families to donate baskets of food and drink to their staff so that they could have a Christmas celebration of their own. The tradition has continued into contemporary times with many well known charities distributing food in this way at Christmas time.
So what really is the difference between a gift hamper and a gift basket? The former is a British term stemming from the meaning “to contain something within”. These days gift boxes, bags, metal tins, etc have become popular variations to the traditional basket that has been used to make hamper gifts since traditional times.
Whatever the occasion, gift hampers and baskets continue to offer a traditional, yet interesting gift opportunity which engages the giver and surprises the recipient many times over.