Self-indulgent gifts are sometimes necessary to make yourself happier, boost your confidence and allow yourself to have something special. But it is much sweeter when someone else does it for you.
Under this philosophy, GOBI Cashmere offers giveaways for purchases above a certain value point. From handmade cashmere socks and hats to high-quality woven blankets, the Mongolian cashmere brand is very – almost excessively – generous with its gifts. The company says this is their way of expressing gratitude to customers and sharing Mongolia’s culture of gift giving.
“GOBI welcomes you with a warm heart and warm gifts. There’s no warmer greeting than the traditional Mongolian custom - giving gifts to those who visit our homes. This centuries-old tradition came about as a deep-rooted practice of hospitality. When someone visits a family, upon the departure of the guest, the host family offers treats or gifts to express their feeling of gratitude for paying a visit. It creates warmth and a pleasant feeling prior to their journey back,” the cashmere producer said.
In fact, foreign tourists get surprised when they visit a Mongolian family because they not only prepare a feast with an array of traditional delicacies but also give gifts before they leave. As Mongolians have been nomads for centuries, most families settle in remote areas with plentiful of grassland to graze livestock - their main source of food. This means that they would often live several kilometers away from other families. Hence, when they get a rare visitor, especially from afar, they would offer the best of everything they had to show their appreciation for taking the time and traveling a long distance across Mongolia’s vast lands to visit them.
Having guests is always joyful for Mongolians for they bring news from far off places and interesting conversations about their journey. It is an unwritten rule for nomads to treat guests well with utmost hospitality and making them feel at home even if they don’t have much themselves. They don’t discriminate between invited and uninvited guests either. Even if you don’t know them but happen to stumble upon their door, nomads will provide food and shelter if you ask. This generosity is the heart of the Mongolian culture and way of life.
Mongolian gift-giving has a few principles just like any culture. Mongolians believe that gifts should have an “open-mouth”, an opening at the top like a cup, bag and socks. These gifts are believed to symbolize prosperity and good fortune unlike “closed-mouth” gifts, which symbolizes fortune pouring out the bag. The most auspicious form of gift is the “nine white gifts”, which comprises of eight white horses and a white camel. Gold, silver, silk, clothes, khadags (traditional ceremonial silk fabric), dairy products and sweets were often added to this gift. However, this isn’t mandatory as gifts depend on the occasion and the giver/receiver.
Mongolians give gifts to show their appreciation, express gratitude, congratulate, wish fortune, or simply because they want to. Therefore, it is polite to accept their gift with two hands even if you don’t need it. There is a saying that goes “Бэлгийн морины шүд үздэггүй” which translates to “Don’t count the number of teeth of a horse gifted to you”. In other words, the person giving you a gift considers your job and needs before choosing a present for you so you should consider their feelings and accept it gladly. What you do with it later is absolutely up to you. But often times, Mongolians give gifts that are symbolic, auspicious and considerate.
To share this touching culture, GOBI has innovated its customer services with special giveaways on its international online website www.gobicashmere.com. The cashmere gifts you can receive for going over a certain price point are as follows:
· Socks, hat or scarf for all orders over 89 EUR
· Fringe scarf for all orders over 199 EUR
· Triangle or square scarf for all orders over 299 EUR
· Woven blanket for all orders over 399 EUR
· Knit or lightweight woven blanket for all orders over 499 EUR
· Blanket and socks for all orders over 599 EUR
You might be thinking that this is too good to be true and that there must be a catch, but rest assured because GOBI puts special care into each and every gift item as it would for its normal products. All of these gifts are produced with high-quality fibers and hand combed by Mongolian herders in an animal-friendly manner.
“We cherish and carry-on our beautiful Mongolian tradition of giving gifts as a sign of appreciation to our customers. Following the unwritten rules, we deliberately choose the best quality gifts that are useful in your everyday life. Thus, Gobi specially produces our gifts items from scratch, using the best quality fibers found only in Mongolia,” GOBI noted.
As mentioned before, Mongolians strive to gift only the best to those they feel grateful to. As a national brand of Mongolia, GOBI strictly follows this tradition. They have initiated this amazing giveaway in hopes to leave their customers with the joy of warm comfort and a lasting piece of the nomadic cultural heritage. If you’re still wary about the giveaway or quality of the products, why don’t you test them out yourself to see how good they really are?
