What to Buy Friends and Family Living Overseas for Christmas
The holiday period is always filled with stress and a frantic energy that virtually doesn’t stop until it’s over. What makes it so difficult is that it is not isolated to just one or two people but the whole world appears to go into a frenzy come December searching for gifts for everyone they know.
Students get presents for teachers, parents are trying to make sure they’ve got a gift for everyone in the family and employers are planning Christmas parties. Retailers are sure to feel the worst of it with customers throwing items everywhere and making a mess in search of the perfect Christmas gift.
Photo Brandon Jones
The real challenge comes when purchasing gifts for friends and family who live overseas. They don’t always have the same retailers and often it is difficult to know what they are after as a result of potentially limited interaction. For example, needing to send gifts to China can be a nightmare at this time of year as the postal services are already under the pump to get everything delivered by Christmas.
To help make things all a bit easier at such a hectic time of year, here is a list of simple and hassle free gift ideas for friends and family living overseas.
Gift cards
They don’t necessarily always seem like the most heartfelt gift but it does ensure that the recipient can get something that they actually want. Many gift cards can be purchased online these days and therefore reduces the need to make a physical trip to the store. Even better, it is possible to get it sent straight to the friend or relatives house.
Most companies will provide the option of a message to be sent with the gift and wrap it up nicely so that it is presentable for the recipient upon arrival. This method also allows you to make sure that the gift is applicable in the country or city that the relative or friend is living in making it a great gift idea.
Wine
Everyone loves some variety of wine and it will always make people happy. To send gifts to China, for example, it is easy to go online and choose the selection of wine that it determined to be suitable for the friend or relative. Again, many services will provide the option of a message to be included with the order and some even offer special Christmas packages including all wines suitable for the festive season.
Because of the versatility of wine and the fact that it is certainly something that everyone will be keen to have a glass of over Christmas, it is an ideal gift to be sent overseas. For anyone wanting to send gifts to China, wine is a great option as many services even have special temperature-regulated warehouses so you can be sure that the wine will be in its best condition.
Restaurant Voucher
Whilst this is similar to a gift card, it holds a lot more meaning. A restaurant voucher to a fancy restaurant is great gift for couples as it gives them a free night out to just enjoy themselves. This is a more personal gift as it enables you to choose a restaurant that is to the liking of the friends or relatives and provides an experience that is unlikely to have otherwise occurred.
Most well-known restaurants do offer gift vouchers and are usually presented on a beautiful card that is thoughtfully put together. This gift allows you to choose a local restaurant for the friends or relatives and removes the hassle of having to find the perfect gift as the restaurant will do it all for you.
Author: Colin Steinway
