15 Sorority Initiation Gift Ideas for Little or Daughter
Looking to get your little or daughter an Initiation Day gift? Check out these 15 thoughtful gift ideas.
The day of Initiation is such an important milestone in any new member’s sorority experience.
For bigs or parents looking to get their little or daughter an Initiation Day gift, I have curated a special gift guide for you with 15 gift ideas for sorority Initiation.
You could even combine a few of these gifts and create an Initiation gift basket. But without further-ado, let’s get started.
- Looking to get your little or daughter an Initiation Day gift? Check out these 15 thoughtful gift ideas.
- What is sorority Initiation?
- Am I required, as a big, to give my little an Initiation gift?
- Should parents give their daughter an Initiation gift?
- 15 sorority Initiation gift ideas for your little or daughter
- Concluding thoughts sorority Initiation gifts
- Thank you for reading about sorority Initiation gift ideas for your little or daughter.
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What is sorority Initiation?
Sorority Initiation is a ritual ceremony each sorority chapter holds after a new pledge class has gone through the new member education process.
This ceremony is seen as the last official lesson for new members. In this final lesson, the new members learn secrets about their sorority and are sworn to secrecy.
After a new member has gone through Initiation, she is now considered an official Sister of her sorority for life.
Am I required, as a big, to give my little an Initiation gift?
Unless your sorority chapter specifies that a gift is required, you do not have to give your sorority little an Initiation gift.
It’s optional, but even if it’s a small gift, like a handwritten note or her favorite candy, she will appreciate it.
In my own sorority experience, my chapter did not require bigs to give their littles a present on the day of Initiation.
But some bigs, would give their littles gifts or take them out to lunch or dinner after the ceremony. My own Big did not do or give me anything, so I made sure to do something for my own Littles.
I personally gave my littles Initiation gift baskets that were similar to their big little gift baskets, but they had a lot more gifts!
You can see the Initiation gift basket I gave to one of my littles down below, but please excuse the messy bed!
You may also like: How Does Big Little Work in Sororities?
Should parents give their daughter an Initiation gift?
Personally, I have not heard or seen parents give their daughters Initiation gifts.
My parents honestly had no clue what Initiation was when my sister or myself went through it. They basically said, “yay,” and moved on with their lives.
However, I believe it would great idea to give your daughter an Initiation gift if she is a legacy in her sorority. That means her mother, grandmother, or aunt were initiated into the same sorority.
And even she isn’t a legacy, an Initiation gift would make her feel special, but it is certainly not required and not expected either.
15 sorority Initiation gift ideas for your little or daughter
1. Crest sweatshirt
A classic gift for Initiation is a sorority crest sweatshirt. In my experience, most sororities will not allow new members to wear anything with their sorority’s crest. They won’t even let bigs give anything with a crest to their littles during Big Little Week!
However, once new members have been initiated, they are free to wear the crest or use any item with the crest printed on it. Good alternatives to a sorority crest sweatshirt, are drinkware with a crest, like a mug, or a framed sorority crest for her room.
2. Journal or notebook
Many sorority women have a special notebook to take chapter notes in. So why not get your little or daughter a brand new notebook she can take her chapter notes in as an official sister of her sorority.
You can even get it personalized with a vinyl decal of her name, monogram, or sorority letters.
3. Sorority family jewelry
Does your sorority family have a family jewelry piece, like a ring or a necklace?
If not, this is the perfect time to start this tradition. My own sorority family, gave one another Pandora Rings for Initiation and it was so special. But your fam could always do a necklaces or bracelets.
4. Pillow
Make your newly initiated little or daughter super cozy in bed with a sorority pillow. These gold foil ones are super chic and go with any apartment or dorm room theme or color scheme.
5. Stitch letters
Every sorority girl needs a couple (or more) stitch letters. Stitch letters can help her show off her personality and make her feel super official.
And with Initiation usually occurring in the colder months (October–February), you could even get her a stitch letter sweatshirt or quarter zip instead of a shirt.
6. Handwritten letter
A simple, but thoughtful Initiation gift could be a handwritten letter you give to her the day of Initiation. You can tell her how proud of her you are and what you hope sorority life will bring her from here on out.
You could also have everyone in her sorority family write a small note to her, but even a note just from you would make her feel so special.
7. Flowers
On the day of Initiation, you could get flowers delivered to her dorm or apartment. You could get an assorted arrangement of flowers or if her sorority has a specific flower, you can send her a bundle of those.
For example, Gamma Phi Beta’s flower is the pink carnation and Alpha Omicron Pi’s is a deep red rose.
This would be such a cute surprise for her to come back to after her Initiation ceremony. Another good alternative is a succulent or cactus as these tend to last longer than flowers.
8. New ritual dress
Every sorority girl needs a white ritual dress and honestly, she should have at least two in her wardrobe just in case one gets stained or she wants to have variety.
9. Blanket
Blankets are such a great go-to gift for sorority girls. And trust me, no sorority girl can so no to a blanket!
You can get her a super soft blanket from somewhere like Marshalls or Home Goods and then get it monogrammed by a local store or purchase one off of Etsy like the one above.
10. Sorority canvas
When in doubt, get her a canvas. You can DIY a canvas for her if you are artsy, get one painted by a freelance artist, or purchase one off of Etsy, like the one above. You can even write a cute and thoughtful message on the back of the canvas.
11. Stuffed animal
Some, but not all sororities have an animal that represents them.
For example, Delta Phi Epsilon’s symbolic animal is the unicorn. So you could get your little or daughter a unicorn stuffed animal or Pillow Pet.
I personally would try to get her a Pillow Pet because they are more likely to be used and not just thrown on a shelf in her room.
Another example, Chi Omega’s symbolic animal is the owl, so you could get her an owl stuffed animal like this, which doubles as a heating pad.
12. Personalized tumbler
A sorority girl can’t get enough greek letter drinkware. You could get her a mug, a coffee tumbler, water bottle, or a wine tumbler, like the one above. She will love bringing it with her to class or having it by her while studying or watching Netflix.
13. Picture frame
A picture frame would be such a cute idea for a big and little duo or if your daughter is a legacy of the sorority she is in. This gift idea is one she can use as decor in her room and every single time she looks at it, she will think of you!
14. Tote bag
Sorority girls could always need a new bag to bring to chapter meetings or to sorority events. This tote will ensure she can bring everything she needs, while looking trendy at the same time.
15. Sorority flag
Sorority flags are a must-have for every sorority girl. They can be used as cute wall decor or as a photo prop for Insta-worthy images. If she doesn’t already have a sorority flag, then this would be a perfect Initiation gift for her.
Concluding thoughts sorority Initiation gifts
Watching your sorority little or witnessing your daughter get initiated into her dream sorority is such a big deal.
When I watched both of my littles get initiated I felt like such a proud mom and I knew this occasion had to be commemorated with something.
Whether you want to give your little or daughter a present or a nice meal as her sorority Initiation gift, I truly hope these gift ideas helped you figure out the perfect way to commemorate her Initiation.
Related posts to what to get your little or daughter for Initiation
- 13 Sorority Paddle Design Ideas for Your Big
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- 23 Gift Ideas To Spoil Your Sorority Sisters With
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