Halcyon days have never been more important than now. With so many countries encrusted with disorder and violence, halcyon days should be celebrated with extraordinary enthusiasm and shared throughout the world this year.
Halcyon wasoriginally the name of a bird in a Greek legend and has morphed into the name of Europe’s fisherking. Shakespeare adopted the term to describe the “calm days” of an Indian summer which continues to this day. Peace and calm have been besought for centuries and this week has been designated for its festival.
Gifts are often given each day for seven days, although some people only send one gift for the entire week. They don’t have to be expensive, just meaningful. This year,our neighborhood gathered together and created a plan to send one special gift to each of our friends overseas accompanied with a handwritten message of peace and calm.
There are no rules in what type of gift should be sent. Music boxes are popular as well as bangle bracelets- both usually have significant inscriptions to evoke favorite memories from the past. Mugs, serving trays, decanters and planters have all risen in status as of late.
The St.Paul’s cathedral is a music box that plays an excerpt from Bach and is the first choice for our most prestigious gift. It is magnificent! The details are flawless and the gold embellishments are striking.
Hands down, the all-time favorites seem to be the enamel boxes with or without music, paperweights, and the bonbonnieres. The enamel boxes have a distinctive appeal to most people 
because of their numerous shapes or their exquisite details. Additionally, they are useful gifts and the numerous inscriptions available cover every theme from devoted love to sports, humor, and even holidays.
The bonbonnieres were selected as the gift to send from many in our group. They are commonly used to hold sweets and are placed on the table for after dinner, like the mints they hand you as you leave a fine restaurant.
This smart little bonbonniere was chosen by a friend. She sent it to someone she hasn’t heard from in a very long time after a silly argument. She included a note about Halcyon days and asked her to give her a call. Let’s hope it works. It stands a little over three inches in height, however, the details and the bright red color will surely entice everyone at the table to lay their hands on it.
One of the men in our small group took this opportunity to celebrate his endless love for his wife. He sent her the Scottish terrier bonbonniere,she lost her much-loved pet a few months ago and is having a hard time getting over it. Just like a man though, on several occasions he mentioned how much he would love the one that displays a golf ball. No doubt he is dropping hints for us to pass on to his wife!
Our family elected to send the Herend Humpty Dumpty to a friend that just had a baby. It will mark the occasion and it is a collectible. It is a handmade porcelain sculpture from Hungary of Humpty sitting on a wall. It is playful and colorful so they will enjoy it.
Gifts for men are usually more difficult to find because you want it to be a treasure. One of the ladies decided to send cufflinks. While they are not used as often since many have been replaced by buttons, the shirts that do require them are usually for elegant occasions.
The assortment is astonishing. They cover every known sport such as football, polo, car racing and golf. They also have items depicting modes of transportation like airplanes, automobiles, and horses. Oh, and animal figures as well, too many to name.
Each one is either handmade or hand painted and have just the right amount of gold to add a touch of sophistication. The intricacies of the animal figures are so lifelike and accurate it’s hard to believe.
The price range varies as well, so there is something for everyone. In the cufflink section, there is a perfect gift for someone in the legal business with a generous budget. It is a pair of handcuffs made in England. They are 18k yellow and white gold and they are superb. The fine details make it look so realistic. Obviously, this company produces high-quality work. If only you knew someone to send them to. No worries, sending a Halcyon gift comes from the heart and the giver gains as much from the process as the receiver does.