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After a month of fasting, the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration at the end of Ramadan is a time of celebration for Muslims across the world. And along with the rituals of praying the Eid prayer and eating with friends and family, many people will be exchanging presents.
So if you’re looking for the perfect gift – one that says ‘I know you’ – look no further than our gift guide. Here are 20 gift ideas, for adults and children, that will make the perfect gift.
A bundle of children’s books
Gone are the days when the representation of Muslim children was difficult to find in literature. Now there are a host of books celebrating Islam and Muslim people, so why not put together a bundle of books for the child (or children) in your life.
Our suggestions include The Most Exciting Eid by Zeba Talkhani (£6.99), illustrated by Abeeha Tariq, a story about Eid and sharing, Baby Touch: Happy Eid! (£5.99), a board book perfect for younger children, and Burhana Islam’s Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World (£16.99), profiling Muslims who have had an impact.
If you don't have the time to create your own package of books, then take a look at Shade 7 Publishing, which sells bundles of its titles for a variety of age groups.
Money wallets from EidParty.co.uk
Traditionally, children are given money on Eid, but gone are the days of pressing a few pound coins or a crumpled note into a child’s hand. Instead, grab one of eidparty.co.uk's gorgeous money wallets, which come in a variety of designs. The Palestinian embroidery-inspired envelopes (£4.99 for 10) are particularly beautiful. The family-run company, based in London, also sells a variety of decorations if you’re looking to spruce up your Eid celebrations.
Wax seals from WishfulLantern
This US-based Etsy shop sells Eid Mubarak self-adhesive wax seals, which can be stuck to envelopes (like the money wallets above) or used in place of sellotape. Get a batch of these (£7.71 for a bundle) to make your gifts just that little bit more special.
Taboon Flatbread Kit from Bake2Explore
Bake2Explore was founded by Leila, who wanted to share bread recipes and the stories and history behind them through bread making kits and workshops.
The Taboon Flatbread Kit (£25) contains pre-measured, carefully sourced ingredients from local suppliers to bake eight Taboon to a Palestinian recipe. Taboon, also called toboun or tabun, refers to a clay oven common in rural areas in the southern Levant.
As well as the dry ingredients, the kit contains a recipe card with information about the history of taboon and baking tips from Leila, a dough scraper, parchment paper and a rolling pin.
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Envelope Pocket Bag from YUSSICO
YUSSICO was founded by award-winning designer Yusuf Osman, who stepped away from his career as a solicitor to pursue leatherworking. The brand makes a range of fine leather goods from a studio in Deptford, South London.
The Envelope Pocket Bag (£82), made from leather tanned with vegetable extracts, is available in three colours and is made to order. It can also be personalised with up to three initials embossed in gold.
Gultara Aventurine earrings from S jo
S jo produces one-of-a-kind hand embroidered jewellery made by women artisans through one-to-one workshops that founder Seher runs in villages in Pakistan.
Each piece of jewellery is entirely handmade and comes with a label telling you the name of the craftswoman who made the piece and a village code.
The Gultara Aventurine earrings (£75), made by Shamim, are embroidered with a natural Aventurine stone. They have gold-plated posts and stoppers and are made using recycled rubber.
Children’s Personalised Prayer Mat from Gouse Gifts
Gouse Gifts, a UK-based Etsy store, sells personalised prayer mats for all ages, but we particularly love its Children's Personalised Prayer Mat (from £10) for babies and toddlers. Yes, they might be too young to pray, but these prayer mats make a meaningful gift that youngsters will treasure as they get older.
Eid biscuit tin from Biscuiteers
Biscuiteers produces eye-catching, hand-iced biscuits from its London home, which are then packed into beautiful tins covered in hand-illustrated stickers.
The Eid biscuit tin (£38) is filled with nine lemon biscuits that are iced with images including a crescent moon, stars and lanterns.
A vegan Eid tin (£38) is also available, containing gingerbread biscuits.
Eid gifts from Islamic Relief
While many children will be waking up on Eid with a present or two, that’s not the case for everyone. But if you’re looking to change that, why not donate to Islamic Relief’s Eid Gifts campaign (from £10) on behalf of a loved one?
Just £10 can provide one child with an Eid gift, with donations going towards supplying clothing, school bags, toys and sweets for children in 25 countries.
Not only is this a meaningful gift for the recipient of your present, but it also has the potential to change someone’s life.
Bonbonniere from Farhi
Farhi’s bonbonnières are inspired by a European tradition from centuries ago, where the host of a celebration offered their guests a little box (or a bonbonnière) made from porcelain, crystal or silver, containing delicacies made from sugar.
The company’s bonbonnières are made from papier-mâché and are hand-painted in Kashmir, making them a beautiful keepsake.
Available in small and large sizes, you can choose from a variety of chocolate-coated treats to go inside, including raisins (£15 for small) and almonds (£25 for large).
But if you want to push the boat out, then the company’s Gold Luxury Gift Hamper Box (£100), containing a variety of chocolate-covered treats including dates, almonds and papaya, is the way to go.
Moisturiser from Adonis London
During Ramadan, a decline in water intake and a diet that is sometimes heavy in fried foods can lead to skin needing a little extra care. Step in Adonis London, a company set up by two brothers focused on plant-based self-care.
The Moisturiser for Men (£30) contains scents of frankincense, myrrh and grapefruit, with nourishing aloe and shea butter softening the skin and helping to improve tone and texture.
For a bigger boost, the Superfood Moisturiser (£38) contains organic pomegranate to brighten and replenish skin, and green tea to reduce signs of sun damage and improve skin texture and the appearance of wrinkles.
Both creams come in environmentally friendly packaging, with recyclable glass bottles and post-consumer, recyclable materials such as recycled plastic and wood.
Chai Biscuit Decorating Kit from Honeywell Bakes
A perfect letterbox gift, this Chai Biscuit Decorating Kit (£18) includes all the dry ingredients you need (handily pre-measured) to make six sandwich biscuits decorated in exquisite patterns.
The chai biscuits will contain a spiced buttercream, and the kit includes a cookie-cutter, piping bags, edible gold dust, food colours and royal icing ready to mix with a few drops of water.
Decorating the biscuits can be a mindful activity for an individual, or is great for a family who wants to spend some meaningful and fun time together (and perhaps turn the decorating into a friendly competition).
All Honeywell Bakes’ packaging is eco-friendly and a percentage from every sale is donated to its charity partner, Farm Africa.
AeroPress Travel Bundle from The Gentleman Baristas
If there’s one thing many people miss drinking during Eid, it’s coffee. So to celebrate the return to the morning (or afternoon, or evening) cup of coffee, why not get your loved one an Aeropress Travel Bundle (£45) from The Gentleman Baristas?
The AeroPress coffee maker is straightforward to use, and the bundle also comes with an 8oz Keep Cup and a bag of Bowler single-origin coffee.
If you want to add something a little extra, get the Espresso Starter Pack Bundle (£25), containing three bags of coffee, as well.
Flowers from Floward
Sometimes a bunch of beautiful blooms is just what you need to tell someone you love them, and Floward has dozens in its Eid collection (from £44) to suit all tastes.
You can also add extras, such as sweets, jewellery, mugs and perfumes to accompany your flowers.
Modern Indian Cooking Course from BBC Maestro
Vineet Bhatia is India’s first Michelin-starred chef, and his online BBC Maestro cooking course (£80) teaches the fundamentals of modern Indian cooking in 30 lessons.
Recipes covered include everything from tomato chutney to butter chicken and chicken biryani. And, as the course is online, why not put together a bundle of ingredients that the recipient will need to give them in person?
East End Foods is working with the course, and you could put together a hamper containing ghee (£3.50), cardamom pods (£2.15) and more.
Sparkling Star Stacking Ring from Irum Atlas
Irum Atlas was founded by Sebina Hussain, who was inspired by both Eastern and Western jewellery trends to create a range of beautiful, covetable but accessible gold-plated pieces.
For those who love minimal jewellery, get this Stacking Star Double Ring (£35), which has two stars encrusted with cubic zirconia stones, one slightly smaller than the other, on a delicate 18k gold plated band.
Dream Dua Do necklace from Desert Rose Boutique
Desert Rose Boutique’s Dream Dua Do necklace (from £36) is both a beautiful piece of jewellery and a reminder to follow your dreams with intention and prayer.
One side of the pendant is engraved with the phrase ‘Dream Dua Do’ while the other side is engraved with a desert rose flower, meaning it can be worn both ways.
The Dream Dua Do necklace is part of the Reflect range of jewellery, which also includes bracelets and rings, and is available with other spiritually-inspired phrases.
Gentleman’s Core Kit from KOHA Beauty
For a sustainable beauty-based present, opt for KOHA Beauty. The company offers a number of biodegradable, zero-waste and vegan-friendly products, and being kind to the environment is at its heart.
The Gentleman’s Core Kit (£20) contains a bamboo charcoal konjac sponge, a bamboo toothbrush and a bar of Deep Forest soap.
The Saicho Collection from Saicho
Saicho was set up by now husband and wife Natalie and Charlie, who were looking for non-alcoholic drinks with ingredients that possessed complexity and heritage. And so they founded Saicho, which produces sparkling teas that are designed to be served cold.
The Saicho Collection (£49.99) contains one bottle of each of the company’s three flavours: Darjeeling, which has notes of mandarin, ginger and wood spice; Hojicha, a roasted green tea from Japan which has a unique savoury flavour; and Jasmine, which is floral and has notes of fresh green apples, lychee, elderflower and jasmine.
Limited Edition Eid Collection from Cartografie
Cartografie’s decadent 24-carat gold-covered chocolates in its Limited Edition Eid Collection (£49) are flavoured with cardamom, rose water and pistachios.
The company sources its cocoa directly from farmers, and this collection is made from ultra-rare cocoa from Bolivia, the Beni Amazon, which is hand-picked by indigenous collectors via boat.
Sarah Shaffi is a freelance literary journalist and editor. She writes about books for Stylist Magazine online and is the books editor at Phoenix Magazine.
Follow her here: @sarahshaffi
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