Harvest festival of Pongal is a major gift giving festival in South India. Tradition of exchanging Pongal gifts multiplies the joys of the festival and helps to develop stronger bonds of love and affinity between friends, relatives and neighbours. All through the four days of the festival people pay a visit to their near and dear ones and exchange box of sweets or dry fruits and a thoughtful Pongal gift. Children are particularly excited about the festival. For them it is the time for wish fulfillment as all their elders are too eager to pamper them with the best of Pongal gift.
Taking advantage of the festival corporates express gratitude for their employees and patrons by giving a special Pongal gift to them. In villages, it is customary for farm laborers to get 'Pongal Padi' or 'Pongal Parisu' (Pongal Gifts) from their employees. Shopkeepers too greet their employees with bonus or Pongal gifts on the joyous occasion. Regular service employees in urban cities also receive Pongal Gift from their employers.
Market places are abuzz with activity during the time of Pongal as everyone indulges in massive gift shopping for all their dear ones. Shopkeepers announce special schemes and discounts to lure consumers. With the changing times people have greater Pongal gift options available to them and they take full opportunity of this. Every year people turn more innovative with their choice of gifts.
Though there is a tradition to visit dear ones and personally greet them with Pongal Gift but to dear ones staying in different cities and countries people send Pongal gift by means of courier or online Pongal gift shopping sites. In recent times, online shopping for Pongal gifts is becoming increasingly popular as it is a convenient and faster way of sending good wishes.
