5 New Year's gifts for those who have everything

Photo: depositphotos.com

The custom of exchanging gifts during the holiday season not only brings joy, but also complicates our lives. Tens of thousands of Americans wander through crowded stores, wasting time they could spend with loved ones and wondering what to give to those who have everything. The ideal gift will not gather dust on a shelf or in the garage; it will be suitable for dad, grandmother or business partner. The ideal gift is an experience, not a thing. ForumDaily has selected and tested several options for winter gifts that are close to ideal. And most importantly, each of these gifts can be purchased without leaving your computer, so perhaps in just 10 minutes all your problems with choosing New Year's gifts will be a thing of the past.

1. Black caviar

A gift that will probably not stay with the recipient, but will quickly disappear, leaving behind pleasant memories - some favorite product, for example, black caviar. A jar (or better yet, a jar) of caviar - perhaps the most universal gift in our selection - will not please only a vegetarian, and its taste does not need advertising, moreover, unlike most delicacies, it is a healthy product, rich in vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and iodine.

The key to successfully selecting caviar is knowing the producer. From an untested and unscrupulous manufacturer you can buy caviar from fish raised on Chinese farms on the cheapest artificial feed - such caviar is sold by weight, on the streets, on social networks - it depends on the imagination and sophistication of the sellers. And this is not the worst thing: sometimes products of unknown origin end up on the shelves, obtained by poachers and rolled into jars in violation of all sanitary standards - this is not worth giving or buying for yourself.

Not everyone knows that the United States has its own sturgeon and sturgeon, which are found in Mississippi and Missouri. Their caviar is valued by gourmets along with the caviar of the Caspian sturgeon. Local Caviar Company sells exclusively wild fish eggs obtained by licensed fishermen. Just a day after the fish is caught, the caviar is put into jars under FDA supervision and goes on sale. And just an hour after you order a jar or two, it can be at your home - Local Caviar Company offers express delivery in Brooklyn and 2-day shipping throughout the US in special cold jars.

Budget: From $ 45. Order on website or by phone: 646-666-9166.

2. Museum membership

Museum membership cards are a popular gift, but donors' imaginations usually go no further than the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, and the USS Intrepid. Meanwhile, in New York alone there are dozens of small museums that host several interesting exhibitions throughout the year. If last Christmas you were given a membership to Neue Galerie on the Museum Mile, you would not only not miss the wonderful exhibition “Munch and the Expressionists” (one of the versions of the famous “The Scream” was brought to New York), but also get to know the works of Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka better - their works are presented in the permanent exposition. By the way, in February 2017, an exhibition of the Russian-born expressionist artist Alexei Jawlensky will open at the Neue Galerie.

Another variant - Morgan Museum and Library (its founder was financier John Pierpont Morgan, also known as JP Morgan). Located in Midtown, the museum looks small from the outside, but it's easy to spend a few hours in it - the work of the curators of local exhibitions is admirable: what was Rembrandt's First Masterpiece with carefully selected early drawings of the Master and his sketches for the painting Judas Returning 30 Pieces of Silver.

Budget: From $ 75.

3. Adventure

When we sum up the outgoing year, first of all we remember the days when we did something special. For the first time in their life, they climbed onto a rock in full gear, sank into the ocean with an aqualung, flew in a balloon over a waterfall, painted in oil or flew a helicopter. Giving a person such an unforgettable day is quite simple and not very expensive, the main thing is to think carefully about what he or she will like best - a lesson at the DJ turntables or making your own unique perfume, or maybe a paragliding flight. To get adventure certificates you need to go to Cloud9living, Funsherpa or Excitations. And for helicopter flights in Miami, go to the company’s website Skyeagle, which organizes day and night excursions, as well as lessons to control the helicopter for everyone.

Budget: From $ 75.

4. Subscribe to streaming service or podcast

A few years ago, you could make friends happy with your subscription to Netflix, but as time goes on, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t have one. Fortunately, there are dozens of far less obvious options. Fans of art-house cinema and sharp documentaries will enjoy the streaming service. MUBI. Every day there is exactly one movie posted, and subscribers have 30 days to watch it. Right now, MUBI has a documentary about the life and work of cartoonist Albert Hirschfeld, the short film “A Song of Love”, shot by Jean-Wen in 1950, the American musical “Forbidden Zone” 1980 of the year, and much more that it is impossible to stumble while turning over the recommendations in mainstream services like Netflix and Amazon.

If you choose a gift for a person who can watch documentaries for days, it’s a good idea to subscribe to the service. Curiosity. Hundreds of films about history, archeology, modern physics, biology, and medicine are available there. The collection is constantly updated, and not randomly. The list of experts selecting films for Curiosity includes researchers, musicians, entrepreneurs and public figures.

Well, if the recipient of the gift let slip in your presence that he once learned a foreign language, but forgot everything, and it would be nice to brush up on it, but there is no time, he will like a subscription to a language podcast, for example, News in Slow Spanish (French, Italian, German) — subscribers can listen to weekly news programs in the target language and read transcripts of all programs.

Budget: From $ 35.

5. Registration for a sporting event

In the event that the gift recipient is fond of amateur sports, for example, running around the park, swimming in the pool or doing triathlon, the best gift for him will be registration to one of the many mass competitions held in any major American city. New Yorkers need to go to get gifts. Nyc runs — Registration for the spring races is now open. The main thing is to know what distance your friend or relative is ready to run: of course, registering for a half marathon can serve as good motivation for a person who has recently completed the first 5 kilometers, but it can also become a reason for disappointment - it’s better not to take risks. Ask the gift recipient about his training - he will be happy to tell you.

Budget: From $ 20.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Unusual Christmas traditions in different countries

Best ideas for celebrating the New Year

Russian New Year through the eyes of American friends

Who and what to give for Christmas: a guide to etiquette

18 the most beautiful Christmas locations in the USA

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.