^^^ The people requesting no boxed gifts are tacky. I should be been more specific.

It means they're tacky.

"No boxed gifts" means they want cash, checks, or gift cards.

You can give the host the benefit of the doubt and assume that s/he misused the phrase, but it has unfortunately become common practice on wedding invitations in some communities. That is tacky in and of itself. To use it for a birthday party! Just accept my Lego set, for heaven's sake!

Unwrapped gift so they don't have to deal with boxes????

Anonymous wrote:It means cash-- but for a kids b day party, that is the height of tackiness.

+ 1000

Anonymous wrote:Are they new to the US?

Thats the only way this would make any sense.

I'd still take my kid out to pick out a regular gift. Specifying gifts goes against everything gift giving is about.

Are they new to the US?

It depends which part of South Asia you are from. In Eastern India (West Bengal), giving cash as a gift (and by extension gift cards) is considered totally crass. My cousin married a Spaniard and they requested money for a honeymoon in lieu of wedding gifts and her Bengali mom had to do a different invitation for Bengali guests because it would be considered so crass. In Bengali culture, "boxed gifts" are the only kosher type of gift.

It may be that among certain North Indians, this is considered OK.

Urgh. Why do people do this? OP don't call. People telling you to do so just want you to put the host in an awkward position. Doing so deliberately would make you as tacky as they are in asking for cash for their child's party.

Momey grab. I would decline the invite.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It means the host is trash.

This.

Yep. Poor kid.

Anonymous wrote:I can not call her.

Can you e-mail her? I also want to know what it means.

To me it would mean they don't want to have to deal with a bunch of boxes or clamshell packaging. Maybe a wrapped book would be fine?

Anonymous wrote:I would email and ask. Less awkward.

What's "desi culture"?

South Asian