The expression “we were like brothers” expresses the great closeness and meaningful connection between siblings. This bond may wear thin in daily life, but sometimes we need to pause, reflect, and acknowledge this significant relationship. In this article, we’ll explore gifts between siblings and provide several examples and directions for such gifts.

Occasions When Siblings Buy Gifts

• Birthdays – The most common occasion for giving gifts is birthdays. A birthday gift for a brother – whether older or younger – expresses the close bond between siblings and the eternal connection between you.

• Military Enlistment – Military enlistment is a major and significant event, often celebrated with a big party. During the celebration, it’s customary to give a gift to the enlisting brother. Sometimes all siblings join for one gift, and sometimes each sibling brings their own personal gift.

• Military Discharge – Similar to enlistment, discharge from military service is also very significant, and it’s very common to buy a gift for a brother marking their return to civilian life. The gift might relate to their entry into civilian life, help with their big trip, or express the closeness between you.

• Older Brother’s Wedding – A wedding is probably the most significant event in your brother’s life, and as such should be marked with a meaningful gift.

• Significant Life Events – There are many events worthy of recognition in some way – whether through a celebration or just a gift. These various events include: wedding anniversary, birth of a child (new nephew/niece for the family), circumcision or naming ceremony, bar mitzvah, retirement, or starting a new job – the best gift can be matched to each occasion.

Guidelines for Finding the Ideal Gift

When choosing an ideal gift for our brother, we should consider several factors. Among these factors are:

• Number of Gifts – Whether it’s one gift from all siblings or individual gifts from each sibling. A joint gift might have a larger budget, but is usually less personal and addresses the relationship more generally than an individual gift.
• Older or Younger Brother – A birthday gift for an older brother differs inherently from one given to a younger brother. The relationship between a younger brother and older brother expresses gratitude and appreciation, while the reverse relationship typically expresses love and compassion. While this division isn’t absolute, often a gift for an older brother differs from one for a younger brother.
• Nature of the Event – The nature of the event being celebrated greatly influences gift selection. Birthday parties are characterized by practical gifts or life curiosities, while more significant and serious events like retirement are characterized by meaningful symbolic gifts.
• Budget Size – Of course, this factor is a result of the previous factors – birthday gifts typically receive smaller budgets than wedding gifts, and individual gifts are smaller than group gifts. The budget greatly affects the gift, but it’s not coincidental that this factor is listed last. An expensive gift isn’t necessarily a good gift – what matters most is the thought, personal dimension, intimacy, and connection expressed in the gift.

Gift Ideas for an Older Brother

We’ve chosen to divide sibling gift options into three main categories: practical ideas, experiential ideas, and symbolic ideas. Of course, we’re not ranking these categories, and each person might be drawn to a different category, which is important to consider when choosing a gift.

Practical Ideas

This direction includes functional items and useful products. Whether it’s a cool technological gadget, a product you’ve heard your brother mention several times, sports equipment, a desired tool, or any other device.

Experiential Ideas

This category includes gifts that provide an experience – a shared ATV trip, going to a great concert, traveling abroad, going to a movie, visiting a water park, shared kayaking, etc. What these options have in common is the experience and strengthening the connection between siblings.

Symbolic Ideas

This category includes items that express the meaning of the relationship and the affection you have for the gift recipient. These ideas might be initials made from a collage of your shared photos, or a keychain bearing their name.

Summary

The bond between siblings is one of the strongest and most meaningful things, and the gifts exchanged between them express this significance. Siblings often choose to give symbolic gifts that represent their connection and mutual appreciation. In my studio, you can find a variety of exclusively personal gifts that will make your brother or sister feel special and show that you’ve invested in them, suitable for any event or celebration. You can see my works here, and get ideas for other interesting directions.