A 40th birthday is a very big deal. After all, it is the new 30. And so it goes without saying that gifts for this occasion need to be really special. While choosing a birthday gift for men, you should be familiar with their likes and dislikes, as well as interests and hobbies.
His 40th birthday? Ahh… So many candles, so little cake! It’s definitely something to celebrate! You can use any old excuse in the book to make a big deal of it. It’s the beginning of a new era, life truly begins at 40, and all that jazz. Anything to bring three of life’s best things together – cake, alcohol and a party! By this age he’s backed with experience and maturity and much has been accomplished. Plus there’s so much more to accomplish yet, and most are all geared to do just that. But, it is equally true that some men also have this sobering feeling of turning older. Whatever his state of mind, gifts for this occasion need to be special enough to work in a dual way – one, to get him out of the funk if he has set himself in, and two, let him know just how awesome it is to be 40.
Gift Ideas for 40th Birthday
There are a few generic items which come within the classic gift-items for men category such as ties and tie-pins, cufflinks, lighters and vintage cigar-boxes (if the guy happens to be a smoker), etc. If you choose from among these classic items to give as gifts, you can hardly go wrong. However, if you wish to give something a little more personal, you should pay attention to the likes, special interests, hobbies and favorite pastimes of the birthday guy.
Utilitarian gifts are the easiest choice if you are in a dilemma about gifting something to someone. Not only is it easy to zero in on this kind of gift, it also greatly reduces the time and hassle associated with shopping. See what he uses most and you will know just what to get him.
Depending on the taste of the person who you are gifting it to, the gift can be anything ranging from lawnmowers for someone who likes gardening, to a mini bar cabinet for someone who is fond of his drinks, or maybe even a bar-tending kit. That will go down well, methinks! For a guy who likes to play in the kitchen, a neat and hassle free barbecue grill would be the perfect gift for him to experiment with on lazy evenings, with a bunch of his friends. Most guys I know are extremely fond of all sorts of gadgets, almost swooning at the thought of a new iPad, headphones, or maybe a telescope. If the guy in question is interested in the cosmos, a telescope or really powerful binoculars would be apt, and probably send him over the moon! If he has something already, but if it is getting old, like a pair of skis, a watch, etc., a new one won’t hurt.
Keep your ears and eyes open, and listen when he says he likes something or wistfully wishes he had it. Maybe he wants to go somewhere for a trip, planning to buy something but postponing it, or maybe he loves thrilling activities but somehow hasn’t managed to get around to doing a few of them, or if he plays an instrument and is thinking to get a new one. Whatever it may be, if you know he likes something, has been dreaming about it for a while, but is not getting around to it, do it for him.
Take him out to do these things, take him for a ride in a helicopter and surprise him to bits! Pool in with friends and book a nice place in a city he has wanted to visit and send him away to relax for a weekend (with his partner if possible). I can bet that apart from being touched that you paid such close attention to his wishes and dreams and took the effort to make them come true, it will be a gift he will remember for the rest of his life!
Personalized gifts are the way to go if the person is near and dear to you. It shows that you have put in a lot of thought and effort into your gift. Personalized as well as romantic gifts will never fail to impress and please. Whether it is your father, friend or spouse, a romantic weekend is usually a winner. Keeping your mom in the loop, plan a weekend surprise for your dad, or pool in with your friends and send the birthday boy and his partner away to some romantic destination.
You can enroll the guy for a class that he wishes to take or some course that is related to his hobby/passion. He loves planes, get him a few hours worth of lessons, he loves horses, enroll him for horse riding lessons, and if dancing is what makes his heart race, enroll him for a month or 2 month long dance lesson on salsa, tango, waltz, etc.
Writing a poem or a song for him that describes your relationship with him, putting a tune to it and singing it to him will surely make him happy. Get someone to help you if you are not too confident about writing a song. All you have to do is say the truth in a rhyme, and put a silly, cute or catchy tune to it. Then watch his face split with a smile when you sing it to him!
If you have all sorts of things on your mind, and it’s getting difficult to choose, why not get 3 – 4 of them and make a gift basket out of it? It’s a fantastic idea, and really, who doesn’t feel happy when they receive more than one gift? I wouldn’t be surprised if a basket based on an alcohol theme or a chocolate theme, or both, makes him squeal with delight.
If the birthday boy is someone who is very close and dear to you, you could gift him something that you have made yourself. It will take some time and effort but the result will be worth it. If you really care about someone and want them to have an awesome birthday, homemade gifts are just the thing. Knowing that you have spent so much time on his gift, to make him happy and his day special, I don’t think there will be any doubt in his mind that you love him to bits. So go on, make him happy.
If you are good at knitting, you could make him gloves or mufflers or a sweater. If cooking is your forte, make him a big jar of his favorite treat – jams, sauces, cookies, whatever he loves. If arts and crafts is what you enjoy, then compile his life in pictures and gift him a photo album that will get him nostalgic, and if you are good with technology, make a short video clip/movie featuring the important people in his life, with each of them recounting some anecdotes about the birthday boy, and describing their relationship with him.
If you have known him for a long time, then you know some of the important events that have happened in his life, and if you don’t, then you will need to find someone who does, for the next idea. A box of memories – a trip down memory lane. Maybe he was an athlete in school/college and won medals, maybe he is good at writing letters and has written a lot of them, maybe he used to write poems when he was younger. Get newspaper clippings, old photographs, keepsakes, letters, old poems, whatever you can get your hands on, put them all in a neat box, gift wrap it, and watch him get happy as he unwraps his life.
Some Other Ideas
Here is a list of some birthday gift ideas that you can choose from, in case you’re still scratching your head over what to gift him.
One of the most foolproof ideas is to gift a bottle of vintage wine. In case you face difficulties in procuring one in your city, you can place the order online.
Birthday Chronicle
A personalized birthday chronicle is another wonderful gift idea for a 40th birthday. This gift is like a personalized mini-newspaper. It consists of a first page and graphics. The text in the newspaper can contain greetings from people who are special to the person.
Anniversary Book
Gifting the man an Anniversary Book is also a great idea. You can also paste the cuttings of events that took place in the year he was born.
Offering a gift basket is definitely a wonderful gift idea. You can fill this basket with a variety of items such as pastries, fudge, chocolates and stationery. You can put in as many of his favorite things as you can!
Season Tickets
If the birthday-boy loves some sports such as football, baseball or basketball, then you can gift him season tickets on his 40th birthday. This gift can be useful for an entire season. Men are fond of sports and season tickets to his favorite sport will get him all excited and truly make him happy.
How about planning a surprise party? You can arrange a party at your close friend’s home. Invite the family members, close friends and have some wonderful decorations, sumptuous food and drinks. It will definitely be a pleasant surprise for him.
Some other amazing ideas for men are a Swiss army knife, flying lessons, sailing lessons, a canoe, a leather briefcase, a nice fountain pen, a silk necktie, semi-precious stone studded cuff links, an iPod, a survival kit, Sat Nav/GPS, a mag light, etc.
With these gifts, who would not feel special and loved? A wonderful way to celebrate 40 years, wouldn’t you say?