When you think of Cinco de Mayo, you think of festivals and parades full of people celebrating by getting totally inebriated. But what if your workplace frowns on alcoholic gifts for coworkers? You’ll need to “think outside of the bottle” and pick a gift that won’t get you (or your coworkers) in trouble.
Of course, the most obvious idea is picking up a few sombreros and maracas. Both are clearly Mexican themed, which means they’re great for office parties. They’re also essential to celebrating Cinco de Mayo, and incredibly inexpensive. You can make some yourself, or pick them up inexpensively from party supply stores.
With everyone dressed up and shaking their maracas, you might find these stick-on fiesta mustaches appropriate for the party, too. They’re really fun, super cheap, and can result in some of the most memorable photos you’ll ever take around the office – especially if you can get your boss to wear one.
While you might not be able bring alcohol as gifts for coworkers celebrating Cinco de Mayo, you could always bring them a few martini glasses or shot glasses. There are tons of options, but buying a lot can get rather expensive. Take the time to look for a few that are bargain-priced and Mexican themed, and you’ll be able to give just about everyone in the office a gift.
Mariachi CDs can be acquired relatively cheaply, and they’re perfectly themed gifts for coworkers celebrating Cinco de Mayo. You can browse on Amazon.com and find plenty for less than $5 a piece, or browse the iTunes store to create a few mix CDs, even if you’re on a super-tight budget.
Gift certificates to your favorite Mexican restaurant are great Cinco de Mayo gifts for coworkers, but if you have to buy a lot of them they can get rather expensive. If you’re going this route, be sure to get gift certificates for restaurants that really pack a punch – such as Chipotle (those burritos are huge) or Qdoba.
If your coworkers are adventurous, hot sauce could be a great gift. Hot sauces made from the Ghost Pepper or Habanera’s are the most Mexican-themed, and they’re also the hottest. They’re appropriate Cinco de Mayo gifts for coworkers, because Mexicans eat spicy foods to help keep them cool in even sweltering temperatures.
Coworkers that fancy themselves as fountains of knowledge, intellectuals, or living encyclopedias will enjoy a good documentary or book about Cinco de Mayo – especially since most people misunderstand the reason for celebrating the Holiday. It isn’t the celebration of Mexican independence from Spain, as many believe. Instead, it celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over the French at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5th, 1862.
This means Cinco de Mayo is also a great time to celebrate the idea of the underdog, but your less educated coworkers just might not get it. Pairing up a gift that explains the history of the holiday can help clear everything up, but you’re probably better off sticking with something easy to understand – like a Mexican themed throw blanket.
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