The Meaning Of Giving A Blanket As A Gift
Throughout the centuries, the gift of a homemade blanket has been associated with feelings of warmth, respect and kindness from those giving a blanket towards those receiving it. Our article below covers just a few of the aspects that come to mind when we give a blanket as a gift or even when we dream about blankets in a dream or see one in a vision of sorts.
Blankets In First Nation Connotations
Giving a blanket as a gift to someone represents respect, admiration and honor for an individual.
Depending on their particular first nation identity, such as the Dakota or the Sioux, or specific tribes within a first nation, the blanket may mean something different from one national identity to another. Moreover, they may be given during different times for various reasons.
For instance, a respected Teton Sioux elder may choose to wrap a wool blanket around a younger person or child that he considers his spiritual son or “spirit son.” If this act is done publicly, it’s all the more meaningful and then takes on a status of adoption with others in the tribal family or community.
As a “spirit father,” the child is loved, recognized, appreciated and rewarded by the wisdom of his spiritual father. In other words, the spirit of the father transfers to the younger, who then passes it on to perhaps a misunderstood child later on in life. Essentially, with the mere laying of a blanket on the shoulders of someone, the family and tribe grow and expand in their sphere of influence.
Blanket-Giving In Other Cultures
Once again, depending on the culture in which blankets are given, blankets become talismans and take on a spiritual dimension when worn in some dance ritual. Blankets can also symbolize transitions in life: weddings, graduations or new additions to a family. They can also mean legendary events, stories and the culture’s heritage.
As such, they express a form of craftsmanship, artistry, history and the represented culture itself. Blankets can even facilitate travel by transferring the spirits of those who gave them as companions on a distant journey.
In some South African and Lesotho cultures, blankets mark rites of passage. In certain parts of China, blankets are among the most cherished gifts given. For the Australian and New Zealand Aboriginals, there are beliefs that the giving of blankets initiate a stream of good dreams and prosperity.
This takes us to the topic of blanket symbolism in dreams as interpreted by various sources. In dream interpretations, a blanket may symbolize warmth: you may be receiving it or someone is giving you the proverbial cold shoulder. It may also mean a shelter, protection or covering of some sort or the favor of someone towards you.
If you or someone else is covering up something, then this is represented by a blanket over your shoulders–a secret perhaps or something hidden. A baby blanket may suggest an inner need to comfort the inner man or your soul.
Some common, but vitally important questions to ask in the field of dream interpretation include:
- Is the blanket lying on the shoulders or on the head?
- Is the blanket yours or someone else’s?
- Do you feel comfortable and peaceful or agitated with the blanket?
- Is someone else underneath the blanket with you?
- What is the color or pattern design of the blanket?
As you can easily see, the giving of a blanket many times is far more complicated than just being a means to provide warmth on a chilly night. However, it does have significant meanings and overtones when given as gifts or appearing in dreams.
Jessica Kane is a professional writer who has an interest in arts and crafts, DIY, and other handmade products. She currently writes for Indian Traders, a leading vendor of pendleton blankets and jewelry.
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My grandmother who immigrated from Norway always saved every scrap. She made all of my grandfather’s shirts. She made me a large quilt of those scraps sewn on a treadle, the same one that I learned to sew on. As I look at my quilt, I remember my grandfather wearing each of those shirts. They owned a dairy farm, I have such warm memories of carrying firewood to the kitchen, helping with wash day, I fed laundry through the wringer, fed calves and learned to milk cows so I could feed barn cats. My quilt is a trip down a wonderful trail.