4 min readShiva Basket, Tray or Platter: Which Should You Send?
Send a basket or tray of dried fruit and nuts if the gift has to ship: it keeps all week and needs no fridge. A fresh fruit platter is lighter but is best eaten soon after it arrives, so it suits a house nearby. A basket and a tray mostly differ in presentation, not contents.
What is the difference?
- Basket: dried fruit and nuts in a basket, often the largest option. Ours is 63 oz.
- Box: the same kind of assortment in a gift box, a tidy middle size.
- Tray: a flat arrangement that goes straight onto the table. Ours come as a dried mango tray and a fruit and nut tray in a reusable tin.
- Platter: fresh-cut fruit on a serving tray. Ours serves about 30 and is hand-delivered in the New York City area only.
Which keeps longest?
Dried fruit and nuts. They sit out all week without refrigerating, which is what a shiva house needs. Fresh fruit is a lovely change from heavy food, but it has to be eaten within the first days.
Which is easiest for the family?
A tray or box goes on the table as it is. A platter may need fridge space, which is often short by the second day.
Which should I send?
- Shipping to another city: a basket, box or tray.
- A house nearby in the New York City area: a platter works, or send both.
- A busy house, or a group sending together: the largest basket or the tin tray.
For sizes, see which shiva basket to send. For budget, see how much to spend on a shiva gift. For what makes any of them kosher, see kosher shiva baskets.
See the shiva baskets →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a shiva basket and a shiva tray?
Mostly presentation. Both are usually dried fruit and nuts; a tray is flat and goes straight onto the table, a basket is often the largest option.
Is a fruit platter a good shiva gift?
Yes, for a house nearby. Fresh fruit is a welcome change from heavy food, but it is best eaten in the first days. Our fresh fruit platter is hand-delivered in the New York City area only.
Which shiva gift keeps the longest?
Dried fruit and nuts. They need no refrigerating and keep through the full seven days of shiva.
What should I send if the shiva is in another city?
A dried fruit and nut basket, box or tray, which ships well. Ours ship free by standard shipping anywhere in the U.S.
Reviewed with guidance from Jewish mourning traditions across Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform practices.
Sending something to the family?
Kosher shiva gift baskets, plus trees planted in Israel — delivered nationwide with free shipping.
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