Irish Graduation Gifts

• Graduation gifts come in many different guises. DreamPictures/Digital Vision/Getty Images

  Graduation as an event is matched only in terms of importance by christenings, weddings and funerals. Graduation from a university is something that marks the transition of an individual into their working life. Graduation gifts are an important was of congratulating somebody on having achieved a degree. People in Ireland do not celebrate finishing high school as 'graduation', but rather completion of a university degree.

Champagne

• The most obvious form of gift that can be given is one with the message of congratulation. This requires little planning, or a close knowledge of the person. Families in Ireland tend to be large, and it is traditional, therefore, for aunts and uncles to buy graduation presents for graduands whom they may not be personally close to. In this instance, a bottle of champagne would be appropriate, since this is a meaningful gift that can apply to both genders and ages. Alternatively, a bottle of wine can be a special gift, particularly if it is from a year meaningful to the graduand, such as the year of their birth. Whilst fortified wines, such as ports are viable options, these are less to everyone's tastes, so a more distant relative would be better advised to choose champagne or a bottle of wine. These can also be tailored to price range fairly easily.

Plane Ticket

• If the graduate is moving to a new city, or into a new house, then a good gift will be something to help them move in, akin to that of a newly-married couple. According to the "Irish Times" 65,000 people left Ireland in the period between January and April 2010. Therefore, a plane ticket to return for Christmas would be something of great value to a recent graduate.

Suit

• If the person graduating has a job that they are about to begin, then a gift relating to this would be much appreciated. One of the most expensive areas for a recent graduate is in purchasing suits and other work-related equipment. This can be tailored to the budget of the person giving the gift, which would be related to how close the giver was to the graduate.

Rugby Tickets

• The best gifts are those which are personal, because these are appreciated by the recipient. Many Irish people enjoy rugby as a past time, and yet rugby tickets can be too expensive for the average student to afford. Tickets to a rugby game, therefore, would be a way to reward them for having graduated.