Christmas is just around the corner and the festive jingles on the radio are preparing us for the holidays. But this season, things are a little bit different for everyone. Setting aside smaller budgets, the commitment to shop local, and gifting within our means are now the priorities topping the Christmas gift list.
To plan your gifts ahead of time, and in turn, benefit local business owners too, here is BDD’s Greatest Lebanese Christmas Gift Guide, just for you.
Start with: The Gifting list
Start the process by writing down every single person that you want to gift, even if they have been naughty or nice. Refine the list – for some, a locally made card with a cool message will do. Others, a more elaborate gift is needed. Make note of the budgets and ideas for each.
Then: Set Expectations
This Christmas will be like none before (and we hope, like none after), so managing expectations among family members, especially the kids, will help. Make it fun, ask your family members to choose gifts for one another that are both local and within a budget. For friends who you often gift, a nice gesture or a thoughtful gift will do.
Of course, the next step is to: Shop Local
Look no further than the abundance of Lebanese businesses and designer brands to shop for Christmas gifts. Over the past few months, with a lot of imported products and items missing from the shelves, we willingly turned to local brands (of course started questioning why we import so much). There are so many high quality products, from food to fashion, that would make the perfect gift.
Let’s Shop!
Here are gift ideas to get you started, early, and all the stores deliver to you, saving you from the traffic.
Gifts for everyone: Games, socks, accessories, clothes and more
Board games, notebooks, cards and trinkets from Everythink
A pair of socks with funny slogans to keep them warm, from Sikasok
A cool t-shirt (you can even decide to match), from Boshies
Sneakers or sportswear, to get them active, from Mike Sport
A piece of silver or gold jewelry, based on their interests from Mac Design
Gift ideas and souvenirs for all ages, from the heart of Lebanese humor from Luanatic
Other boutiques and stores we love (for kids and adults):
To show you care: Hair and body care, cosmetics
Make up, perfumes and body care products, neatly packaged from Feel22
High quality organic hair care, body care and even beard care products, from Potion Kitchen
Other Lebanese stores we love:
Artsy items: Paintings, plants and steel structures
Replicate your favorite photo with them, or their favorite cityscape in steel, with Steelouette
Some of the nicest photography pieces, artworks and fashion items from global designers, to raise funds for Lebanon on Beirut Restore
A fresh shade of green with handpicked plants from Opa
Other creative stores and brands we love
Let the beat drop: Musical instruments for only the talented
If they have a musical ear, are talented musicians or they have a passion for music and want to get started, both Instruments Garage and Mozart Chahine have great options.
Food items: The way to their heart is through their tummy
A basket of organic goodies from Mymoune
For all things healthy, delicious and even keto, how about a gift basket that goes straight to the tummy from Mint Basil Market
Satisfy their sweet tooth with delicious dipped chocolates and spreads from Eshmoon Organics
A little bit of high quality honey can go a long way, from Atelier Du Miel
High quality, neatly packaged olive oil, with a basket of goodies from House of Zejd
A nice bottle of Lebanese wine (to begin to forget 2020) from 209 Lebanese Wine
Other delicious food places we love, that you can order from:
Tech, gadgets and more
A new fitness watch, TV, wine cooler or hair appliance from Beytech
A cool speaker to pump the beats during family gatherings from Antaki
Donate in their name
And of course, in the spirit of paying it forward and giving back to families impacted by the blast, or those in need, make a donation in their name to any NGO working on ground. Here are a few to get you started:
To celebrating the beauty of Lebanon and reviving different areas impacted by the blast, donate to Live Love Beirut
Support the ongoing efforts on ground with Impact Lebanon
Feed the underprivileged through the ‘hunger heroes’ powering Food Blessed
Support the elderly to live a more dignified life, with Beit Al Baraka
Be part of the rebuilding efforts, for every Lebanese family who lost their home, to return with Offre Joie
Power the blood drive to ensure every patient gets the support they need with Donner Sang Compter
Cheer on the heroes on ground, working tirelessly through volunteer programs to rebuild Lebanon with Nusaned
Support Lebanon’s most underprivileged and marginalized communities with Arc-En-Ciel
Give the gift of food to those in need with the Lebanese Food Bank
Ahead of all the holiday traffic, commotion and positive spirits, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy end of 2020, from all of us at BDD.
