Receiving a gift, howsoever big or small, is a pleasant experience for anybody. It is customary to send a thank you note after receiving a gift. The thank you note is meant to record your pleasure at receiving the gift, display your humblest gratitude, and mention how you will use the gift.
Depending on the addressee, the letter may be informal or formal. When addressed to an acquaintance, co-worker or senior, the letter is formal but gracious. When addressed to a friend, a sibling, spouse, relative or parent, the letter is very informal with few restrictions on tone, speech and content.
A thank you letter should be kept short. It should record how thankful you are for the gift, how you’ll use the gift, and how pleasantly surprised you were upon receiving the gift. Care should be taken to not become sentimental or overly gushy in the letter, especially when addressed to a senior or co-worker. The format and tone can be learned from the example below.
{Date}
Dear {Recipient},
Thank you so much for your wonderful and thoughtful gift of {type of gift}. {Type of gift} is exactly what I’ve been {wanting | needing}. Right now I am {using the gift | wearing the gift | displaying the gift | etc.}, and I am quite amazed at how {beautiful | useful | etc.} it is.
It was so very thoughtful of you to get me something, and as always, you’ve done an exceptional job picking out just the right thing. Thank you so much, and I hope you are doing great! {Ask a polite question here regarding the person’s life}. Do write me back when you have a chance.
Yours truly,
{Letter writer}
