Great Gift Ideas for German Oma and Opa

     When you love your German Oma and Opa so much, it’s wonderful finding a special gift that will touch their hearts and transport them to their roots, past experiences and happy memories.

     Take a moment to think about the warm memories with them and how they’ve made a subtle difference to your life. Maybe it was Oma’s hearty cooking, kind acts of care, or Opa’s storytelling time!

Oma and Opa Gifts Ideas

Whatever the occasion, there’s always time for a thoughtful gift! The sentiment is there, but maybe you need a little inspiration? Here’s a few gift ideas for Oma and Opa!

• “Oma’s Home” Ceramic Door sign; colorfully painted with traditional flowers
• Mugs; from house rules to a simple messages, this is sure to bring a smile to their faces
• Oma Ceramic Spoon Rest; in honor of recipes that will forever be in our memory!
• Spoon rest magnet; a colorful decoration for the kitchen!
• Keyrings; a gift they can have with them anywhere they go!
• T-shirts; give the children an opportunity to buy Oma and Opa a cheeky gift!

We’re familiar with these cute names for our grandparents, but from where do they originate?

It is thought the “Oma” likely stems from the word grootma, which is a word that young children often mispronounce.

Although these terms are lovingly used across America and can be found in Greek, Opa and Oma actually originated in Germany. And over time, Oma and Opa became the most common Dutch words for 'grandma' and 'grandpa' respectively.

But isn’t Opa a Greek word? If you’ve ever had the chance to attend a Greek festival or celebration, you’ve probably heard Opa cheered throughout the occasion, so what does it mean?

Simply put, “Opa” is a common Mediterranean emotional expression used to express enthusiasm, surprise, or even just after having made a mistake. In Greek culture, an enthusiastic “Opa!” is shouted while smashing plates! A truly inventive way to get rid of washing the dishes!