Hello Meltingpot Readers,
I don’t know about you, but I almost slapped my calendar this morning for telling me that tomorrow is the first day of December. I’m not ready! December almost always fills me with a feeling of dread because of the obligation to buy friends and family members presents for the holidays.
The thing is, I’m pretty clear that there is no reason on God’s green earth to bankrupt myself giving gifts. But I admittedly enjoy giving people things that make them happy over the holidays. So, over the years I’ve figured out some more “meltingpot” gifts that I feel good about purchasing, people generally feel happy receiving them (I think) and my wallet isn’t empty at the end of the month.
The 2018 Multicultural Holiday Gift Guide
1. Cookbooks
There’s nothing more meltingpot that a feast from a foreign land. Even if the person you gift a cookbook to isn’t an enthusiastic home chef, many cookbooks are so packed with lush photos, fascinating stories and unique menu ideas, they can be enjoyed as pure entertainment. Bonus, the big ones make great coffee table books too. I’m a big fan of almost every book celebrity chef Marcus Samuelson has written because they all have his multicultural touch (Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia, raised by Swedish parents and lives in New York City). His most recent title is, The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem. Or try Coconuts and Collard by Von Diaz, a book that is a mash-up memoir/ cookbook with recipes that combine Puerto Rican cuisine with that of the American South.
2. Museum Membership
You can tick off an entire family with this one gift. The price of an annual membership to a museum for a family of four will probably cost less than buying four or five individual gifts and it’ a gift that keeps on giving. Consider the museums in the city where your person lives and select one that you think folks will enjoy or maybe one that you think folks should patronize. Last year, I gave my cousin and her family an annual membership to Philadelphia’s African-American museum. Not only did I think she’d enjoy taking her young son, I wanted to support the institution.
3. Magazine Subscriptions
Speaking of the gift that keeps on giving, consider purchasing a magazine subscription for someone. There are two options here. Purchase a subscription to a newsmagazine that will keep them informed of all of the craziness happening in this world. Think The Atlantic or Mother Jones. Or find that totally awesome indie publication that speaks to your person’s passion. Afar magazine for your solo traveller friend. Sesi magazine for the Black female teen in your life who’s looking for representation in the media.
4. Anything from Ten Thousand Villages. It’s a store that sells lovely hand-crafted products – think home decor, clothes, and jewelry – from local artisans in developing countries. They’re totally legit, their products are gorgeous and it’s almost like you’re double gifting because with your purchase you’re supporting the artists and giving a loved one a beautiful item to use.
5. A plant. I recently brought a succulent home that had been part of the centerpiece at a wedding. It barely made it home safely on the train ride, but now it’s thriving and I feel so proud. Plants can be wonderful gifts, and are most unexpected in the winter time. Plants can be really inexpensive, so spend some time finding the perfect pot. Give the plant a name and a story. And know you’re giving a gift that will last a lifetime.
I hope you find these gift ideas useful, dear readers. What types of gifts do you give when you’re going for meltingpot and not materialism? Leave me some ideas in the comments.
Peace!
Photo by George Dolgikh from Pexels
