A history of the hostess gift (and what is a housewarming)

The tradition of bringing a gift when entering someone’s home is older than we may realize. Long before wrapped presents and scented candles, guests would arrive carrying something far more essential: warmth. In this video, we explore the history of the hostess gift —and the true beginning of the housewarming basket, where family and neighbors would share embers from their own hearth so a new home would never be without fire. From there, we trace how gifts like bread, salt, candles, flowers, and preserves came to symbolize nourishment, friendship, light, and welcome. We’ll also look at how these customs have been carried into modern times — and how thoughtful, handmade gifts still echo the spirit of these ancient traditions. If you’d like to see the companion tutorial on how to wrap jars in fabric for handmade gifts (jam, chutney, cocoa mixes, etc.), that video is on my crafting channel here: https://youtu.be/vwo2czYm1Pc