Holiday Gift Ideas for Your French-obsessed Friends
10 awesome gift ideas for the francophiles in your life! Perfect for Christmas, birthdays, and all types of celebrations.
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Gifts for foodiesGifts for the Stressed-out FrancophileGifts for kids (or their moms and dads)Gifts for the wanderlust / travelerDo you need ideas on what to give someone who is crazy about France and anything French?
Whether it’s for a friend, family, a special someone, or even for yourself, here’s a list of 10 delightful gifts any self-confessed francophile would truly enjoy.
Gifts for foodies
1. Oyster knife
When the winter months roll in and oysters are in season, a handy oyster knife would let you properly shuck oysters and eat them raw with a squeeze of lemon—the way any oyster-loving French person would.
Truly, the French love their huîtres… And your friend is probably ga-ga over oysters, too, so an oyster knife and him = a perfect match!
2. Authentic champagne
Leave it to champagne to make any celebration instantly glitzier and more festive! But not all sparkling bubbly wines will do because technically, only the ones made in the Champagne Region of France can be considered real champagne.
So make your loved one feel special by gifting him or her with authentic champagne. Here are some good brands to choose from, starting of course, with the world-famous Dom Pérignon.
Not ready to burn a huge hole in your pocket? Here are a couple of good alternatives such as Veuve Clicquot:
…and Moët et Chandon.
3. Crème Brûlée Set
Aahh.. Crème brûlée. That heavenly French classic made of creamy custard and topped with a crunchy layer of sugar. Who can resist? Not you, perhaps. So why not give your foodie francophile friend all the tools needed to prepare the perfect crème brûlée? He/she would love it… And you’d get to enjoy the result, too!
4. Cheese Board
A fancy slate cheeseboard would be exactly what your foodie friend needs to serve up cheese in upcoming holiday parties. Here’s one that will make you look forward to lots of “Cheese Night” invitations at their place!
Gifts for the Stressed-out Francophile
5. Savon de Marseille
The world-famous Savon de Marseille is traditionally made from vegetable oils in a cauldron, without added fragrance. The pictured bar is a perfumed soap from Marseille, rather than the traditional unperfumed formulation. Know anyone who would love this?
6. Lavender
A packet of loose lavender flower buds — that’s all it takes to whisk someone away to France, right then and there! Not only will the beautifully scented and relaxing herb make you reminisce of French lavender fields, it also makes everything smell oh-so-good.
Gifts for kids (or their moms and dads)
7. The Little Prince boxed set
This classic is a perfect gift not just for parents or for children, but for any book lover and collector, too. The hardcover boxed edition would surely be a delightful addition to any bookshelf!
8. Bilingual Picture book
For parents with little kids (age six years old and below), here is a more suitable reading material that the young ones would surely enjoy: a picture story book.
Où est mon ballon (Where is my ball) is an awesome gift for parents who wish to raise bilingual children. Featuring carefully selected vocabulary, it’s written in both English and French and teaches kids basic French and English words like shapes, sizes, and colours.
Gifts for the wanderlust / traveler
9. Scratch-off Paris map
Do you have a friend who is travelling to Paris soon? He or she would appreciate a one-of-a-kind Parisian map.
This scratch-off map not only transforms his Parisian holiday into a sight-seeing scavenger hunt, he can also frame it afterwards as a fun reminder of his trip!
10. Vintage Traveler Journal
Every francophile who has been bitten by the travel bug would need something to document their travels…. Jot down your thoughts, sketch some scenes, or write down your travel plans. This French-inspired travel journal would do the job nicely.
These are gift ideas from the original article. Product editions, availability and prices can change.
