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Do you have that one friend who is so happy to be Irish he invites the world to kiss him not just on St. Patrick’s Day, but any day of the year? And the Irish are not alone in this proclivity: Italians, Eskimos, Germans, Latinos and people from Poland all wish to be kissed due to their bloodlines. This ethnic pride makes shopping for an otherwise hard-to-buy-for person a little bit easier; because even your best friend can be tough to buy for sometimes. Take advantage of some non-traditional holidays to pick up some personalized gifts for your favorite leprechaun. Or Eskimo.
If your best friend is Irish and enjoys an adult beverage or two, life is pretty easy for you when it comes to choosing the perfect personalized gift. A pub sign with his name on it is great for the kitchen, family room or for outside the house; just put the house number under the name when you order. Glassware that continues the pub theme is great, along with coasters, signs, neon and lamps. If your gift-ee doesn’t imbibe, instead of “Murphy’s Pub” you can get “Murphy’s Cottage” or bed & breakfast. Clothing choices abound for the Irishman in your life. Sweatshirts, t-shirts, rugby shirts and sweaters are available to personalize and they make great gifts for men. The Irish flag, favorite sports teams and local hangouts are featured on any number of shirts, jackets and even boxer shorts. And shamrocks? Faith & begorrah, ye’ kin go mad shoppin’ for the luck o’ the Irish. Leprechauns, pots of gold, bowler hats and shamrocks are plentiful in February and March, but also available year ‘round. For more upscale offerings there are beautiful Irish linens, laces and crystal that anyone would be proud to display.
If your friend is Italian and wants the world to know, you can certainly help him out. Sportswear with Italian logos, soccer teams or the red, white and green of the Italian flag are all fun choices. Does he cook? Choose one of the many cookbooks that range from traditional to silly, like “Cooking with the Corleones.” Put together a basket of ingredients to make any Italian chef swoon: expensive imported olive oil, balsamic vinegar, olives, cheese, prosciutto, pasta and a nice red wine or grappa. If he doesn’t cook, stick to the yummy, ready to eat delicacies. If your friend is the swaggering, macho Tony Soprano-type, go ahead and gift him with a Bada Bing t-shirt or other mafia-inspired merchandise.
Cinco de Mayo is a perfect excuse to celebrate his Mexican heritage. Putting together some of his favorite “holiday recipes” in a collection for him or using them to create a meal for him is a great gift. Go online to find traditional recipes or more updated dishes. A jersey from Las Chivas or Pachuca, world-renown soccer teams, makes a great gift for any fan of the sport. Margaritas are a fantastic source of inspiration for gifts for men. Specialized blenders, top shelf tequilas, glassware and geegaws to decorate the finished product; even a guy can enjoy a drink with an umbrella in it if it’s a margarita with a kick. A variety pack of imported beers with appropriate glassware and limes is another fun choice.
It can be a lot of fun to take some time to go through these best friend gift ideas, especially if your friend is proud of his family history. There are great restaurants to celebrate almost any ethnicity, do some research in your area to see what’s out there. There are festivals and celebrations everywhere for every occasion: Bastille Day, feasts for various saints, Oktoberfest, Polish festivities, Basque festivals and Cherry Blossom days. Take your hard-to-buy-for friend to a celebration of his heritage and pick up a little memento to put together a perfect personalized gift for him for later. Unusual gift ideas like these are the ones they remember, and treasure, forever. Even men.
Tags: best friend gift ideas | best friend gift ideas | unusual gift ideas | unusual gift ideas | personalized gifts | personalized gifts | holiday recipes | holiday recipes | gifts for men | gifts for men
