So, your son or daughter is working towards a Norwich University master in history and their birthday is just around the corner. Not being a history buff yourself, you are at a loss as to what to possibly get them this year that they’ll truly appreciate. It seems like every year you give them clothes, a gift certificate to their favorite store or restaurant, or some other item that just doesn’t ‘feel’ right. This year you want to give them something that means something to them. If you are struggling to know just what would appeal to a history buff, here are five birthday gift ideas to explore.
1. Relics and Replicas
One of the nicest ideas, but sometimes hardest to find, are relics and replicas from an era that especially appeals to them. Sometimes you can find online gift shops from places around the country where you can find such things as ash from Mt. St. Helens when it blew or even ash from New York City taken in the wake of 9/11. Perhaps your history buff has always wanted to tour the Louvre in Paris or the Coliseum in Rome. You can find all kinds of replicas of historic buildings, which can be used as decorative knick knack or paperweight. They make for cool conversation pieces!
2. Oddball Books You Wouldn’t Find in Class
Sometimes, you can find oddball history books that tell another side of history, many times comical in nature. Although not necessarily funny, there is a two-book set that sounds extremely interesting that any history buff would probably love. Have you checked out books one and two of An Uncommon History of Common Things by Bethanne Patrick and John Thompson? These books promise hours of interesting reading.
3. DVD History Collections
While your history buff son or daughter attends lectures at Norwich University, it isn’t often that they get to see a video of the places and people they are studying. What about a DVD collection about their favorite era in history so that they can watch them again and again. If you don’t know much about the different periods in history, you can take a glance at the program they are studying online here.
4. History Buff T-Shirts
One of the funniest t-shirts you’ll come across for history buffs says, “History Buff: I would find you more interesting if you were dead.” Or, how about the one that says, “I didn’t say that!” and signed Marie Antoinette. We all know what that means and can appreciate it just as much as a history buff. You can give them a gift you’ll enjoy as well – or have your cake and eat it too – pun very much intended!
5. A Trip to Some Historic Destination
Finally, if you have a few extra bucks lying around that could finance a trip to some historic destination, great! Who wouldn’t want to have a little birthday getaway? You could get them train tickets to Gettysburg, Washington, D.C. or even reserve a room at a hotel close to Boston Harbor and give them a gift box of tea that includes the tickets and reservations. Time machines are still the stuff of science fiction, so if you can’t send them back in time, the least you can do is have fun getting them there for an up-close and personal look!
Still looking for birthday gift ideas for your history buff son or daughter? If so, just learn what their favorite period in history would be and that’ll make it so much easier to find just the right thing. Happy shopping and maybe you might get a lesson in history at the same time. Wouldn’t that be nice? You’ll finally have something to talk about.
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