Gifting for the Modern Indian Family: Celebrating When Everyone’s Everywhere

Key Takeaways:

• Giving gifts to Indian family members is an excellent way to honor past memories and create new ones.
• Gifts like treat hampers and personalized maps can keep Indian loved ones’ bonds strong.
• Creative gifts like remote gaming and reading can help distant Indian loved ones feel connected.

You and your loved ones bonded over butter chicken, fruit custard, and cream rolls years ago. Today, miles may separate you, but you still bond over one thing: memories of these home comforts and other nostalgic glimmers from childhood.

Research shows that 84% of people in America view nostalgic memories as reminders and indicators of what matters the most in life. Giving gifts to loved ones on special occasions can be an excellent way to tap into the previous experiences that bonded you, as well as introduce new experiences that can help you strengthen those bonds in fresh ways.

Fortunately, finding the perfect gifts for your Indian family members doesn’t have to be complicated in the modern world. Let’s explore the top gifts for Indian family members scattered in different locations today.

1. Personalized Map

Stay connected to your Indian loved one, states or countries away, with a customized map that draws attention to meaningful locations for your family. The map can highlight the places where they and other loved ones currently live, where your ancestors lived, or where you and your family members traveled together.

The custom map can be a tangible, vibrant way for you to tell your family’s story and remind them how unique each family member is while tying your journeys together with special quotes, dates, and names printed in the same color and font. Popular personalized maps range from those printed on wood to framed printed maps and even puzzle-piece map designs that give a whole new meaning to saying connected.

2. Photo Calendar

A picture is worth 1,000 words, so tell your Indian family’s story in “thousands of words” with a calendar that features 12 photos of you and your loved ones. A custom photo calendar can highlight snapshots of important family dates and family milestones, like graduations and birthdays.

These calendars are the ideal way to remind your family members of special, heartwarming, nostalgic moments to carry them through the year. Whether these personalized calendars are wall calendars or smaller calendars on desk easels, they’re both a sentimental and a practical way to add value to your loved ones’ day-to-day lives.

3. Handmade Trinket

Show your far-away loved one how much you mean to them with a vase, tray, or sculpture you make yourself. Nothing says “you’re worth my time,” “you’re beautiful,” and “I’m thinking of you” like a trinket you take the time to create personally for your loved one. Bonus points if you decorate the trinket with your Indian loved one’s favorite designs, shapes, and painted colors.

Each trinket can instantly add personality and warmth to your loved one’s space while keeping you top of mind in their lives. Consider creating a resin vase that works just as well outdoors as it does indoors, due to holding up against ultraviolet exposure and humidity, or make a wooden sculpture to trigger curiosity and spark conversation. A custom coaster or tray can also be a practical gift for protecting surfaces while reflecting your loved one’s personal style and adding pizzazz to their living space.

4. Hamper of Treats

A gift hamper basket is guaranteed to be well received by any and every family member, no matter their personality, interests, or distance. Food is the universal connector, which is why so many nostalgic moments center on it.

Create new, positive memories for your loved ones by tantalizing their taste buds and making them feel seen, appreciated, and loved with hampers filled with goodies like breads and hazelnut spread, party snacks for poker night, and strawberry and chocolate syrup for family sundae days. You can even infuse a taste of India into your loved one’s birthday or other special day by surprising them with a hamper filled with spicy chana chur and moong dal, proving that fantastic flavors and favorite family moments go hand in hand.

5. Remote Reading

You and your Indian bookworm family members may not be able to gather together regularly for family read time at the local coffee shop, but you can enjoy reading time together remotely with a reading subscription or book set curated just for you and your loved ones. These gifts encourage bonding, learning, and discussions across locations and ages. Consider pairing your gift book set or reading subscription with discussion prompts, book boxes, or reading journals to add even more of a personal, thoughtful touch to the gift.

6. Faraway Gaming

Miss playing board games with your Indian loved ones? Games don’t have to stop just because you’re now in different locales. Give the gift of long-distance gaming with a physical or digital bundle featuring scorecards, games, and even snacks for virtual playtime with the family. A gaming-themed gift is an easy way to bring busy loved ones together for connection and laughter, no matter how far apart they are. Bingo cards (that can be printed from home), trivia decks, and more can instantly make your family members feel like they’re right at home with you, despite being across distances.

7. Puja Kit

Encourage your family members to embrace their spiritual ancestral roots with a puja kit designed to help facilitate Hindu rituals. The kit can include printable guides, incense sticks for purification and fragrance, camphor for offerings, and oil lamps that can be lit during prayers. This gift is excellent for making traditional spiritual practices accessible for family members who are abroad or have minimal experience with these practices.

Surprise Your Far-Away Loved Ones With Thoughtful Gifts Today

Laughter, tasty treats, and meaningful talks don’t have to remain relics of the past when your Indian family members scatter throughout the country or the globe. The right gifts, ranging from treat hampers to photo calendars and a reading subscription, can bring these touching memories to the forefront each day, as well as help cultivate new memories. Consider the above-listed gifts for the modern Indian family as you seek to keep your family’s bond strong across borders for years and generations to come.