A souvenir is 'something that serves as a reminder, eg. of a person, place, or past event; a memento' (The New Penguin English Dictionary).
'A thing taken, bought or received as a gift, and kept to remind one of a person, place or an event (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary/OALD).
So really, whatever serves as a reminder of a place visited/traveled to, is a 'souvenir'. And there are all kinds of them - clothes, especially t-shirts; fabrics, books, crafts including dolls, plates/pottery, tea cloths, trinket boxes, frames, etc., etc. The list is endless. Ubiquitous souvenirs in the form of key chains, fridge magnets and snow/water globes abound in most tourist/traveller's collection. Some may be tacky* (read: cheap), some may be kitschy. But certainly they are all fun! So, happy collecting! And contributing to the economy of the place visited, even in this small way.
* Tacky - 'of poor quality or in poor taste; though perhaps bright and colourful' (OALD)
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| A display of tacky (?) snow/water globes (CNB 2011) |
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| Fridge magnets, oh so colourful and gaudy! (CNB 2011) |
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| 'Fishy' fridge magnet souvenirs from Semporna, Sabah (CNB 2011) |
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| Mini Vietnamese dolls from Hanoi (CNB 2011) |
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| Tacky framed photos - our contribution to the local economy?!! (CNB 2011) |
P.S. My favourite souvenirs would be tea cloths - useful, sometimes beautiful, and 'historic', reminding you of a place you have once been to.
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