X-MAS GIFTING MADE EASY

Reading Time: 6 minutes

The ho-ho season is right here and along with all the glitz and glam of the season comes the exciting tradition of Secret Santa and Christmas Gifting. If you still haven’t thought of what to gift your family, friends and loved ones this festive season, we have got you covered. All About Jaipur brings to you a curated list of X-Mas gift ideas like Custom Photo Aprons from Jaipur based entrepreneurs, small businesses and hotels so that it is indeed a Merry Christmas for everyone around us! You can also get Personalized LEGO Minifigures from here, which as the best gift options.

WINTER GIFT BOX BY THELAGAADI

Jaipur based accessory brand, Thela Gaadi has especially curated winter gift boxes for Christmas gifting on themes like Cozy Christmas Gift Box, Snow and Santa Gift Box, among others. These boxes have an eclectic mix of personal accessories including colourful and festive themed socks, Christmas vibe handkerchiefs, a fuzzy eye mask as well as a box of homemade chocolate chip cookies. You can also take your loved ones to the happy memories of their childhood days by customizing boxes themed on their favourite cartoon characters like Shin Chan, Tweety, Powerpuff Girls, Scooby Doo, among others.

A HEALTHFUL CHRISTMAS TREAT BY KASHMIR RARE

Jaipur based enterprise, Kashmir Rare has put together special limited edition Christmas Boxes to celebrate the joy of gifting with fresh and high quality produce straight from the Kashmir Valley. “These boxes have a mix of Chocolate Almonds, Kashmir Honey, Saffron and Walnut Chocolate Barks. It is the perfect gifting option for those who’d like to gift their loved ones a healthful treat”, tells Manjot Chawla of Kashmir Rare.

CHRISTMAS FRAGRANCES BY ACASA DESAIN

Acasa Desain, a home décor brand from Jaipur, has come up with eco-friendly aroma candles made with soy wax in special Christmas fragrances. One can choose from Toasted Vanilla, Spiced Orange, Kiwi & Fig, Hot Chocolate, among other festive notes. “All the candles are topped with a cinnamon stick, clove and star anise to give a Christmas feel”, tells Akshya Agarwal, Founder of Acasa Desain. Some candles also adorn a brass Reindeer in rose gold plating. “Reindeers represent journeying, wandering, safe travels, strength and endurance. So one can gift this candle for safe holiday travels as well”, adds Akshya.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SPREADS BY HOLIDAY INN

If you and your loved ones are foodies, then there is nothing better than treating them to special Christmas dinner or a brunch. Holiday Inn is organizing a Christmas Dinner on 24 December at Monarch – their all day dining restaurant. The signature offerings include poached pear, fennel and goat cheese salad; Norwegian smoked salmon with dill cream; Turkey with Apple, sage and cranberry sauce, Brandy soaked prunes stuffed chicken with Giblet sauce, among other delicacies.

There will also be Live counters serving hand rolled stuffed pasta, Live Mexican counters serving Tacos, Quesadillas and Nachos.

Those wanting to have a ball on the day of Christmas, can choose to go for the Christmas brunch on 25 December. This will include tantalizing dishes like Tomato Bocconcini salad, sherry infused seafood bisque, Bharwan nizami paneer, Spinach and ricotta stuffed Chicken, Chao special fish in beans sauce, pad thai noodles, Thai curry, Bamboo shoot and garlic fried rice, Fennel and thyme scented polenta, among others.

Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy Christmas pudding, liquor infused Pannacotta, crescent cookies, Tarte Tatin, etc. A special kids counter will also offer smileys, sliders, cupcakes, mac & cheese, Christmas cookies, etc.

GOURMET GIFT HAMPERS BY ITC RAJPUTANA

ITC Rajputana has an array of delectable gourmet gift hampers created specially to celebrate joy and cheer. Gourmands can choose from Signature Plum Cake, Spiced Chocolate Tart, Plum Pudding as well as Signature Christmas Stollen, which is essentially an artisanal spiced fruit bread, centered with marzipan.

Furthermore, they also have a box of assorted cookies in variants such as Cranberry & Almond Florentine, Spiced Stollen Cookies and German Chocolate Cookies. Boxes containing goodies like Cashew & Rose Marzipan, Hand Rolled Truffles and Rochers, Christmas Macarons and Fudge are some other options to pick.

SPREAD THE CHEER TO YOUR FURRY FRIENDS

Why should the Christmas cheer be limited to humans? For those friends or family members who have a pet, a jacket, sweater, blanket or a bed can make for a cool yet cozy gift. Bow ties, leash and harness and pet food are also useful gifting options for your furry friends. A Jaipur based store for pet supplies, Mad About Dogs, has plenty of dog and cat accessories, skin and hair care products, food and treats on offer. A dog sweater or sweatshirt will not only keep them protected from the harsh parts of the season but will also make sure that the pooches enjoy the winter season. It is worth noting that the owner of the store, Viren Sharma, is also playing secret santa to the street dogs and dressing them up in winter jackets as a part of ‘Dress a Dog’ Drive. This is something that Viren and his team does every year for the roadside furry buddies of Pink City.

CHRISTMAS-Y SOAPS FROM SOAPY STORIES

A hamper of homemade and natural soaps handcrafted in cute Christmas special shapes like a Christmas tree, snowman and snowflake etc. is a great choice for gifting on Christmas. Get these soaps from ‘Soapy Stories’, an initiative of handmade soaps by the 13 year old Naina Bhatnagar who donates all the proceeds from this to Faith Sansthan, a NGO that works for HIV/AIDS affected children. “I have been making soaps since I was 8 years old. While earlier I used to gift them to family and friends, since the last three years I have been regularly donating all the funds raised through the sale of these soaps to HIV/AIDS affected children”, shares Naina. What can be a better way to spread the Christmas Cheer!

CHRISTMAS-Y SOAPS FROM SOAPY STORIES (1)

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS FROM CRÈME

Jaipur based home baker, Ayushi Agarwal has a Christmas Specials menu for the season. In addition to the quintessential traditional Rum Cake, there is also Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake, Biscoff & Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry & Nutella Brownies, Rustic Chocolate and Orange Cake and Classic Carrot Cake.

“Christmas is my favourite time of the year – the nip in the air is perfect for some hot chocolate, warm cakes loaded with rum & spices, and desserts topped with fresh strawberries. I love being a part of the celebrations through my desserts”, says Ayushi Agarwal, the owner of Crème patisserie and bakery, while sharing her love for baking in this season.

Despite the mayhem caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years, if each of us can become a Secret Santa not just to our loved ones but also to those in need and extend our support to local entrepreneurs, small businesses, home chefs, we can really help spread the Christmas Cheer in its true essence!