20 thoughtful gifts to buy for loved ones this Ramadan and Eid
- Posted by
- Sarah Shaffi
- Published
As another Ramadan, spent mostly in lockdown, draws to a close there are plenty of ways to show your friends, family, and yourself some love with these gifts from independent retailers, charities and more.
In many ways, Ramadan 2021 was just like Ramadans of recent years: early morning breakfasts, long days, and the breaking of the fast in the evening as the sun sets.
And of course, in other ways it was completely different. This Ramadan is the second one Muslims in the UK spent in lockdown, meaning no indoor iftars (the meal that marks the end of the day of fasting) with friends and family.
The end of the month of fasting, marked by the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, starts on 12 May and with further lockdown easing, seeing friends and family is a real possibility for the first time for many of us.
To mark the end of Ramadan, Muslims often give gifts – traditionally this was in the form of money and was mostly reserved for children. But this year, sending a gift is one way of letting loved ones know we’re thinking of them.
From calendars to jewellery and artwork, here are 20 Ramadan and Eid gifts to buy for someone you love.
Signature Ramadan Calendar from Star x Crescent
Nazia Kosar grew up wanting advent calendars counting down the days to Eid, and as an adult decided to create her own.
Star x Crescent produces two luxury advent calendars – one for adults and one for children – perfect for a pre-Eid gift (no one is going to complain if they get this beauty a little after Ramadan has started).
The Signature Ramadan Calendar takes its design cues from the geometric patterns that exist in Islamic art and design. The star-shaped calendar splits into two stars and each star has 15 segments, with each segment containing a treat such as a Belgian chocolate-coated Medjool date, gourmet Turkish delight and Lebanese nougat.
Flowers from LK Verdant
Flowers from LK Verdant LK Verdant is a family business based in Blackburn and founded by Raysa Farah, who worked in the NHS before following her dream of becoming a florist.
The luxury florist specialises in both fresh and dried flowers, and has worked with brands including Elizabeth Arden and Kiehl’s. The Fancy bouquet (£65) is the perfect Eid gift, with a palette of pinks and dusky purples interspersed with metallic foliage. For something smaller, there’s the Always Ombre Forever Rose (£25), a real rose preserved at its peak, so it will last for up to a year. The Always Ombre Forever Rose sits on a bed of white feathers, inside a clear glass bauble.
1001 Stories
Ethical luxury shoe brand 1001 Stories was co-founded by Shahrzad Moaven and Tereza Pigova, who met on a footwear design course at the London College of Fashion. The company employs Syrian and Palestinian women living in refugee camps in Jordan, who use techniques that have been passed on from one generation to another.
Its first collection was developed in collaboration with artisans who are part of the UN High Commission for Refugees livelihood program, MADE51.
Its Blue Skies ballet pumps, £235, feature bows hand-embroidered by refugees living in the Jerash camp in Jordan.
Melting Cleansing Balm from Merumaya
Beauty brand Merumaya was set up by Maleka Dattu, who worked at brands including Clinique, Origins and Lancôme before deciding, after 27 years in corporate life, to found her own business. Merumaya takes its name from the first two letters of the names of Dattu’s family.
Merumaya’s Melting Cleansing Balm, £22, is perfect for beauty fans in your life. It melts away make-up, dirt, SPF and pollution, and has been praised by people including Caroline Hirons. The balm, like all of Merumaya’s products, is Vegan Society certified.
Reflect Bangles Trio from Desert Rose Boutique
Asima Iqbal, founder and creative director of Desert Rose Boutique, was inspired to create her Reflect range of jewellery after a testing time in her life, during which her faith played a major role in helping her to move forward. Each piece features engraved text to encourage positive thoughts and action in the wearer.
The Reflect Bangles Trio, £52 (a special offer for Eid), includes three gift-boxed pieces: an 18K gold plated Tawakkul bangle, the stainless steel Sabr Shukr bangle, and the rose gold plated Dream Dua Do bangle.
Accessories from Pop London
POP London cashmere scarf Pop London was founded by Shazia Saleem, who is passionate about ethics and sustainability; all designs are produced from upcycled fabrics, trims and yarns.
Its bags and scarves make for perfect Eid gifts for fashion lovers. The ethereal cashmere scarf, £149, comes in a variety of colours. The scarves are made with pashmina sourced ethically and sustainably, and the brand works directly with artisans in Kashmir.
Scrunchies from Begum
Begum is run by two sisters and operates a zero waste design policy. It makes kimonos by upcycling saris, aiming to give discarded but beautiful garments a new lease of life.
The offcuts from its kimonos are used by the sisters to make bunting and scrunchies, the latter of which make a great gift for anyone looking to add a pop of colour to their look.
The Lucky Dip Scrunchie Bundle, £6, contains four scrunchies. And if you’re looking for something to wrap them in, then grab the brand’s reusable fabric gift wrap, £3.50, as well.
Dates from The Date Project
The Date Project began in 2015 to raise funds for the Al-Huda Bakery in Syria, and has since expanded to support projects in other countries as well.
The project sells medjool dates sourced from the Jordan Valley inside Jordan, and hand-packed by Syrian refugees who are employed in the process. The dates come packed inside a range of beautifully designed boxes.
Chocolate Fudge Cake and Brownies from The Cake Campaign
The Cake Campaign, run by Islamic Relief, took a break in 2020 but is back for this year. The project raises money for the crisis in Syria, and deliveries of its signature chocolate fudge cake take place every weekend in Ramadan.
This year, there’s a new 24-piece brownie box which contains brownies in six assorted flavours, which those ordering a cake are eligible to purchase.
So far, The Cake Campaign has sold over 158,000 cakes and raised over £1.5 million.
Eid money envelopes from AhneesCards
Eid gift ideas 2019: Eid money envelopes by AhneesCards If you want to stick with the traditional Eid gift of money but don’t want to hand over a crumpled note or a few pound coins, these Eid money envelopes are perfect. Handmade, they’re available in packs of six, with each pack containing an assortment of different colours and prints.
Print from Hawwa, etc
Freelance artist and photographer Hawwa Alam produces prints that explore identity, belonging, wellbeing and education.
Her hopeful reminders make an inspiring gift for a loved one, and we love her ‘give yourself space to grow’ print, £25.
The Body Balm Duo from Delhicious Body
Delhicious Body is an independent body care brand whose Delhicious Black Tea Body Scrub, £7.95, has proved a favourite of Stylist’s beauty team. The range, designed by husband and wife team Zak and Zara, uses ayurveda techniques.
After a month of fasting and disturbed sleep, a gift of Delhicious’ new Body Balm Duo, £19.95, will be welcome. The Original Balm contains sweet orange oil to help brighten skin while the Mint Balm helps to refresh and soothe irritated skin.
The balms are 100% natural and vegan, and come in plastic-free packaging, and the company also donates 10% of profits to help stop human trafficking of women in India.
Personalised Prayer Mat from Gouse Gifts
Many Muslim homes contain no shortage of prayer mats, but the ones from Gouse Gifts are a little different, and will be treasured by any recipient.
The floral Turkish chenille mats can be personalised to include a name and a message. The personalisation is embroidered by hand, and the mats are available in a range of colours. And if you’re looking to get something for a child, there are also child-sized mats for sale.
Handmade Jewellery from Oh Panda Eyes
Oh Panda Eyes was started by Mariyam Khan as a way to fulfil her love for books; she began with a range of pieces inspired by books and has since worked with subscription boxes and publishers to create custom pieces.
Khan makes all the pieces by hand, and any book fans will love her Bridgerton quote hairpin or her ‘Rumi’ umbrella earrings. For less bookish types, get the prism caged earrings.
Malika Hijab from Banafshaa
Named after a sweet violet flower, Banafshaa was set up by Sahar Deshmukh when she moved from Canada to the UK as a way to pursue her own passion for hijab and to help women feel confident when wearing it.
Based in Manchester, the company offers a range of vibrant hijabs. The hijabs in its new Merak Collection, launched for Ramadan 2021, are a nice choice – get them early so your loved ones can wear them for Eid.
L’Occitane Ramadan calendar
Beauty brand L’Occitane will help a loved one count down to Eid with its new beauty calendar, £99. It contains 30 doors, and among the products are the Relaxing Pillow Mist, Immortelle Precious Cream, Overnight Reset Eye Serum and Rose Hand Cream.
A lovely gift to help someone with a bit of extra self-care while they mark Ramadan.
Mirror Cushion from Ajrak Mahal
Mariyah Danyal was inspired to start Ajrak Mahal after trips to Pakistan, where she saw women in small villages making mirrored cushions.
Each of the brand’s patchwork cushions contains some panels hand embroidered by women in Pakistan.
The Embroidered Hand Crafted Patchwork Cushion Covers, £9.99, contains various hand embroidered recycled panels sourced from the region of Sindh and hand stitched together.
Shop Embroidered Hand Crafted Patchwork Cushion Covers, £9.99
Arabic Gold Pencil Set from Rama Publishing
Stationery and lifestyle brand Rama Publishing, based in London, was founded by Rachida Benamar, who has always been strongly influenced by her Arabic heritage.
Believing there’s something sacred about a pen and paper that computers will never match, Benamar created products to help give people space to dream and plan.
Rama Publishing’s set of five Arabic gold pencils, £15, are the ideal tools for dreamers in your life. Each pencil is engraved with a different word in both Arabic and English: passion, dream, love, peace and freedom.
The pencils are sharpened and rested inside a display box on a bed of rose petals.
Prthvi necklace from Sami Jewellery
Sami Jewellery is designed in London and handcrafted in Jaipur, India. The brand partners with workshops in India that follow fair working practices and sources all-natural gemstones from ethical mines around the world, with 10% of profits from each piece sold donated to Future Hope, a charity providing a classroom education for children living in slums and on the streets across India.
Sami’s Prthvi lariat necklace, £150, has a six-carat untouched natural orange Carnelian pendant with natural mineral inclusions.
Qibla print from Islamic Art Prints
Qibla framed print Islamic Art Prints was founded by Siddiqa Juma, a multi-award-winning and critically acclaimed contemporary Islamic artist, who wanted to create a space where everyone could find and buy exclusive artwork.
The platform features Islamic artists from across the world, with 50% of all profits going directly with artists. And for every art print sold, the company provides an art pack to a deprived child somewhere in the world. If you’ve got a friend with some wall space that needs filling, then Juma’s Qibla is what you need to gift. The painting is an exploration of the Qiblah, the Islamic direction of prayer. It’s available as an unframed print, from £40, a framed print, from £90, or as a canvas, from £110.
This piece was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated throughout
Images: Getty/Instagram/supplied by brands