For some soon-to-be high school graduates or new college students, the choice of a college or university can be heavily influenced by how robust the school’s Greek Life is.
With national and international organizations around the globe, there are more than 1,500 fraternities and sororities aimed at providing a social support system during college. Some Greek life organizations are also known for service, community, professional advancement or scholastic achievement.
Whether you are new to Greek life, have been a sorority sister or fraternity brother for some time now or you are the parent or friend of someone who is a proud sorority sister or fraternity brother, this blog post is for you! Learn more about the various reasons to give gifts to a sorority sister or fraternity brother and some ideas of what to give.
What are some reasons to give fraternity or sorority gifts?
There are a variety of occasions to give gifts to college students—from care packages for new college freshmen to graduation gifts for seniors—and fraternities and sororities have their own gift-giving occasions. Check out the top three reasons to give gifts to sorority sisters or fraternity brothers:
- Initiation or Bid Day: Bid Day is the culmination of Fraternity and Sorority Recruitment Week (or Rush). It’s the day potential new sorority members receive a bid, or offer, to join a sorority. They may receive one from their top choice, other chapters or may not receive a bid at all. After accepting a bid, new members go through education or “pledging” where they learn more about the fraternity or sorority they are joining and its history. Many sororities and fraternities celebrate Bid Day by giving gifts to new pledgings.
- Big Little Reveal Day: After Bid Day, Big Little Reveal Day is the next biggest day for new sorority members. It’s the day a new pledging (or Little) is matched with an older member (or Big). To commemorate the occasion, most sororities ask their Big Sisters to prepare a Big Little Basket for their Little Sister(s). This serves to officially welcome the Little Sister to the sorority.
- Graduation: After several years of building relationships and being part of a tight-knit community within a fraternity or sorority, graduation day seems to sneak up quickly. Whether the sorority or fraternity member is your Greek life sister or brother, your child or grandchild, celebrating with a graduation gift (or two) helps honor this huge milestone.
What are fraternity initiation gifts?
Fraternities host initiation ceremonies, which are top secret to ensure other fraternities don’t learn each individual fraternity’s history, before new pledges are accepted into the fraternity of their choice. At the initiation ceremonies, students must perform certain rituals.
Upon being accepted into the fraternity, new members receive a fraternity badge or pin that represents their specific fraternity. The badge is meant to be worn at all official functions. Initiation also symbolizes being officially accepted into the fraternity and being able to finally wear the fraternity’s Greek letters.
Common fraternity initiation gifts include badge boxes, clothing, tumblers, lanyards and more items branded with their Greek letters.
10 sorority gifts and fraternity gifts that combine function with fun
Whether you are ordering sorority gifts for Big Little Baskets, fraternity initiation gifts or graduation presents, here are a few branded gift basket ideas for your fraternity or sorority member college student(s).
1. Basket/Tote: Building a basket for a sorority sister or fraternity brother means starting with something to hold all the items. Consider something that can be used well beyond initiation, Big Little Reveal Week or graduation, such as an insulated picnic basket, tote bag, duffel bag or drawstring bag .
2. Food: A welcome gift from any college student is food. Filling your Little Sister’s Big Little Reveal Basket with her favorite snacks is a must, and fraternity initiation gifts that include food are also an appreciated gift. Consider snacks branded with their new Greek letters, such as caramels, goldfish crackers or granola.
3. Water Bottle: Staying hydrated is important for college students who need something portable for walking to classes, studying or serving with their fraternity or sorority. Giving them a water bottle will help your favorite college student show off their new letters and represent their fraternity or sorority wherever they go. Options to consider include an aluminum sports bottle, plastic sports bottle or glass water bottle.
4. Notebook: Journals and notebooks are a great gift for college students to sport their Greek letters when taking notes in class or studying. There are a variety of notebook options to choose from, such as the Hampton JournalBook, Leeman Junior Tuscany Journal or a notebook/pen combo.
5. Shirts: After weeks of attending events, receiving a bid and going through initiation, new fraternity brothers and sorority sisters are excited and filled with pride to wear their new Greek letters, making T-shirts a much-loved (and very economical) gift. A few options include the Bayside Triblend T-shirt, Port T-shirt or Hanes® Tagless T-shirt.
6. Branded Gear: Take their T-shirt up a notch with additional branded gear to help them show off their fraternity or sorority wherever they go. A few much loved gifts for college students include branded umbrellas, beanies, hoodies and hats.
7. Jewelry: Great for men or women, a ring, bracelet or necklace with their fraternity or sorority’s letters will be worn with pride for formal and informal occasions alike. Consider a beaded lanyard necklace or name plate friendship bracelet.
8. Pins: Versatile enough to use on their lanyard, backpack strap or purse, a pin or button is a great way for fraternity brothers or sorority sisters to show off their Greek letters. Consider a 1″ round button, square button or a custom shaped button.
9. Lanyards: Worn by students and staff alike, lanyards are a popular giveaway item on college campuses, especially for fraternity and sorority gift baskets. Consider a 2-in-1 charging cable lanyard with phone holder, an antimicrobial no-flip lanyard or choose from a variety of lanyard options.
10. Fun Accessories: As with any gift basket, don’t forget to pair the practical items with a handful of fun accessories. For a fraternity or sorority gift basket, consider adding their Greek letters to a window cling, car decal, car license plate holder, laptop stickers or a picture frame.
Going Greek in college is something nearly 10% of all college students do, and it’s a moment worth celebrating! From fraternity initiation gifts, sorority Big Little Reveal gifts and more, Greek letter-branded giveaways are sure to delight fraternity and sorority members alike.
Begin customizing branded gift basket ideas for your fraternity or sorority today—start a chat or email a MARCO Promos sorority or fraternity gift basket specialist.
