Go UN with international housewarming traditions

If you’re planning a housewarming at your new apartment, draw from some of the vibrant housewarming traditions found around the world to welcome your first guests into your new apartment.

Housewarmings are traditional in many diverse cultures and there are a variety of symbolic gifts with unique meaning that you can bring when you’re invited to your next housewarming. How about honey for a sweet life or a rooster to keep trespassers away? (You could also get them a vicious guard dog, but a rooster is so much more old world!)

One theme that is universal for any international housewarming celebration – keep it simple. You’ve just done all the work of moving into your new place, so it’s not necessary to further complicate your life with lots of additional work. You can even ask your guests to bring the food and drinks if you like.

Some housewarmings, like those in India, are religious in nature and involve prayers and blessings for the new home and its occupants. In Thailand, a housewarming is more of a slumber party affair involving all of the house’s actual occupants. They move in their furniture one day and sleep in the house for the first time on a designated “lucky” day.

No matter where in the world your housewarming is taking place, you’ll want to have everything in place to make a good impression before the guests arrive. If they’re moving things and helping you unpack boxes, that’s a moving party, not a housewarming!

Check out some of these fun gift ideas for your next housewarming from moving experts, mymove.com:

From: Housewarming Traditions