Hampers… when we hear or see the word hamper, it is usually associated
with food. But are hampers just about food or are there other meanings
associated with it?
In Britain, hampers are baskets that are used to hold or transport
items. They are usually quite large and are made of wicker. Because of
the good air circulation and the sturdiness of the wicker material,
hampers are more often than not used to carry around food thus its
very dependable use as a picnic basket or if we must, a picnic hamper.

In the US on the other hand, hampers are associated with laundry.
Whether it is for the clean laundry or the dirty type, hampers are
used as containers for clothes thus the term clothes hamper. Back in
the 19th century, it was a common practice for laundry services to
leave a clothes hamper for the clients to put their dirty laundry in
and then return with another clothes hamper with the clean laundry for
putting away.

Nowadays, hampers also refer to a collection of goodies that can be
given as gifts or as donations. They may contain food, clothing,
toiletries or basically anything that can be put in a package. Hampers
are quite popular during the Yuletide season and a Christmas hamper,
as it is called, may have more festive items in its collection like
wine, cheese, Christmas pudding, etc.

Also currently, hampers don’t necessarily come in the wicker basket
type. Hampers right now may be in the form of plastic bags, wood, or
some other fibrous material that can act as a container. However, it
is still the wicker basket that truly personifies and symbolises what
a hamper is thus making it still the most widely used material for a
hamper.

For more: visit http://www.bradfordsbakers.com