nope, this time it’s not meant to be a name closely associated with “Gretel”. i didn’t even have to search for this word, because it popped right off the page, and i knew it was perfect.
handsel • \HAN-sul\ • noun
- 1 : a gift made as a token of good wishes or luck
- *2 : money given by a buyer to a seller to bind a bargain
Example Sentence:
Having signed the papers and handed over the agreed-upon handsel of $200, Caroline was now the proud owner of a small sailing skiff.
Did you know?
According to an old custom in the British Isles, the first Monday of the new year is Handsel Monday, a day to give a small gift or good luck charm to children or to those who have served you well. As long ago as the year 1200, English speakers were using the ancestor of “handsel” for any good luck charm, especially one given at the start of some new situation or condition. By the 1500s, traders were using “handsel” for the first cash they earned in the morning — to them, an omen of good things to follow. Nowadays, it can also be used for the first use or experience of something, especially when such a use gives a taste of things to come.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
i really like the idea of celebrating a Handsel Monday. part of the reason i don’t like holidays is because of the huge fanfare leading up to them. all the decorations and the hype for Christmas and Halloween practically guarantees a major let down-especially in our adult years. i can’t remember the last time when i had a Christmas that compared to my childhood memories of it. the magic just isn’t there, you know? celebrating a Handsel Monday sounds appealing, because i can do something special for my family and people i appreciate without any expectations. present them with a simple gift, a token really, and not only have you done something unexpectedly nice (because seriously, who besides us has actually heard of “Handsel Monday”?) but you’ve probably brightened their day just a little bit. with me, the simplest things have always turned out the best, and i think celebrating Handsel Monday sound like one of the best holiday’s yet. maybe i’ll remember to do so this year.. maybe it’s the start of a beautiful, simple family tradition. 
on a completely different subject, but still using the word… my husband and i just realized that we can use our 401k as a down payment for a mortgage. that is really, really exciting for us because in a few years (when our credit has healed from its mortal wounds) we’d actually like to buy a house of our own. i don’t mind renting at all, but one of these days i’d like to fulfill my dream of painting my walls and laying down wood flooring. so, when the time comes and we’re able to get a mortgage we’re going to have an appropriate Handsel to present, since we’ve been saving up unknowingly for the past 5 years. hoo-rah!