Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
We've just been invited to a first birthday party in Somerville, MA,
and the parents said no gifts.

I feel silly going to a child's birthday party and not bringing a gift.
I wouldn't want them coming to my daughter's party and not bringing a
gift, even if I know it's likely to be something I don't want or need.
It's not about me, it's about the child.

What is the practice where you live?

Mixed. Believe me, the gifts get *very* excessive
after a while--even the kids stop getting all that excited
about them. In general, saying "no gifts" isn't very polite.
Making that choice is supposed to be left to the giver.
However, if someone says no gifts, then you don't bring
one to the party. If you really want to give a gift,
bring one at another time, though the 'no gifts' thing
is probably a clue that they're awash in stuff, so you
might take that into account when selecting something.

Best wishes,
Ericka