Easy Gifts for Villagers

 Regular social intercourse is more important than Gifts in Harvest Moon but Gifts are important as well.  If you neglect any one but not speaking to the person for a few days, any Gift will be refused.  Try therefore to 'meet and greet' all your Neighbours on a regular basis, even if you cannot give a preferred Gift to them.

It is not difficult to find a decent Gift for most of the Villagers in the early days of the game.

Many of the Villagers love Red Magic Flower:

Emma loves Red Magic Flower:  Oh, Freya.  Is this for me?  Thank you very much.  This is a good present.  I don't know how to thank you.  It's wonderful to have good neighbours like you.
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Tina for Red Magic:    What?  A present?  For me?  Are you sure it's alright for me to have this?  Thanks, Freya.

Allen for almost any Flower:   A present perfectly suited to my tastes.  I like it.  Received, with thanks.

You can give almost any seafood whether caught in a Trap or with the Fishing Rod to quite a few of the Villagers and they will accept happily.

Hanna for Steamer Clam:  Oh my, is this for me?  I love this, you know.  I gratefully accept, Freya.

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Tina for Basket Clam:  Wow!  Is this for me?  Thank you, Freya!

For Clement, it is far better to give raw Fish or Seafood than to give a Cooked Seafood dish as he is a Master Chef and although polite, will not be particularly impressed with Cooked Fish or Seafood.

Clement for Steamer Clam:  Hmm, this is a present for me?  It's something I like, so I'm pleased!  Freya, I must hand it to you.  Thank you.

See the contrast with a gift of Cooked Fish/Seafood:

Clement for Grilled Fish:  Oh Freya.  Thank you. 

 

Toni for Freshwater Prawn, Blue Crab:  Is this for me?  Yay!  Ah, can you keep this a secret from my mom?  She's really picky about this type of thing.

There are some Gifts that one can guess will be appreciated by specific individuals.  These are the Items that are connected with the person's business or passion.  For example, in any Harvest Moon game, the guy who deals with Animals usually loves Fodder, Feed and anything else connected with Animals.  He usually LOVES Milk even more but that may not be true in 'A New Beginning' where Neil greets the gift of a Fodder portion with the same enthusiastic response as he gives to the more valuable Milk.

Iroha and Rebecca likewise appreciate any building Materials, whether it is raw material such as Small Branch or Small Rock or finished materials such as Lumber or Material Stone.  Furthermore, the way to obtain Blueprints for all upgrades to Tools is to give Iroha and Rebecca Gifts regularly.  Iroha will give you the Blueprints for some of the Tools and Rebecca gives the others in return for your Gifts.

Iroha for Material Stone:  This is... Material Stone.  You remembered what I like.  Thank you. 

Although Rebecca will accept any raw building materials as a Gift, she really prefers finished ones such as Material Stone or Lumber.

She appears to be more thrilled with Material Stone than with Small Material Stone.

Rebecca for Material Stone:  Is this for me?  It's just what I wanted!  Have you been spying on me?  Ha ha ha!  I'm just kidding.  Thanks, Freya!

Rebecca for Small Material Stone:  Oh, is that a present for me?  Thank you, Freya.

As you can see, the Material Stone elicits more enthusiasm.

Rebecca on her birthday for Small Material Stone:  It's sweet of you to give me something I like on my birthday.  Thanks.  I'll take it.

In fact, it may be useful to point out here that Material Stone actually makes a better Gift than Small Material Stone, not only because she likes it better but because it is more difficult to obtain Small Material Stone, ironically than Material Stone.  You can purchase Material Stone at any point in the game from Rebecca, but she does not sell Small Material Stone.  Many of the early Blueprints you can purchase require Small Material Stone.

You can give Dunhill almost anything apart from Seafood, whether raw or cooked and he will take it graciously although he really loves Wine.

Dunhill for Insects:  Thank you, Freya.  I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Neil for Fodder:  Is this for me?  A Fodder?  I like this.  I was just thinking I how I wanted one.  Thank you, Freya.

The Magical Characters like Gifts as well.  Aaron and Alice, the Harvest Sprites, may be twins but they possess opposite tastes where Gifts are concerned.  While Aaron will be thrilled with the Gift of ANY Insect, Alice hates them and loves Flowers and other Wild Items.

Alice for Apricot:  A present for me?  You're good at buttering me up.  Fine, I'll take it.

Alice for Weed:  A present?  Hmm, for me?  Okay, I'll accept it.

The Harvest Goddess should be given Offerings as well.  As in any Harvest Moon game, toss your Gift into the Goddess Spring.

In this game, she is rather capricious in her likes and dislikes:

HG for Shiitake, Chamomile or Red Magic Flower:  Oh, I like this.  Thank you!  Toodles!

Harvest Goddess for Walnut, Blueberry or Chestnut:  Oh, it's okay, I guess.  Thank you!  Toodles!

HG for Apricot: or Fish  I don't  like thiis.  Freya, how could you?

HG for Poison Mushroom:  I hate thiis.  Freya, how could you?  Toodles!

The Wild Animals throughout the Map who run from you in terror, shaking and perspiring mightily when you encounter them, will calm down if you give them the Gift they love and ultimately will reward you once Friendship Levels are sufficiently high.

The Tanuki love Eggs.
Bear loves Honey.