With just over a week to go before the advent of Christmas and Boxing Day, there are precious few days to deck the halls with the perfect British-themed presents. Here are a few of our favorite things, all sure to charm the Anglophile:
Christmas Hampers from Harrods: Few stores embody a traditional British Christmas better than Harrods. While they do have gift baskets selling for over £20,000 pounds (two leather trunks overflowing with wine, spirits, cheeses, cured meats), you could get a taste of the land with The Helmsley, a basket with teas, coffees, biscuits, chutney, and jam, all for the reasonable price of £50 pounds (not including shipping). The deadline for sending to the States is end-of-day tomorrow, December 15th.
Classic Christmas Crackers: First created by a London confectioner, Tom Smith, in 1845, Christmas crackers are as integral to a British holiday table as a rib roast. Often encasing a sweet, toy, paper hat or a motto, the wrappings have a loud crack when you and your fellow diners pull on each end. The Royal family has special crackers made for them every year, but you can get your own from Amazon to dress up the table.
Holiday Spirits: Having a sip of the peaty golden nectar on Christmas Eve is a great way to toast Santa Claus' arrival. The Master of Malt sells many good-quality single malts from Scotland, from a 12-year-old Balvenie DoubleWood for $43 to Glenglassaugh 30-year-old for $263.
Binge Watch Downton Abbey: In preparation for the series finale, you could spend the holidays binging on the entire series with the Downton Abbey, Seasons 1-5, Limited Edition DVD. If you want to know what happens before the rest of America, you could also order Downton Abbey, Season 6, UK Edition (plus, the DVD set comes with free teas). And don't forget to listen to our Downton Abbey podcasts, (part 1 and part 2) to get revved up for watching.
Make a Christmas Pudding: It may be a bit labor intensive but a homemade Christmas pudding makes an exceptional and delicious gift for the holidays.
Give a subscription to British Heritage: What could be a nicer gift than a two-year subscription to our magazine, filled with unexpected adventures--whether they are found in castles, cathedrals, gardens, stately homes, or single-track roads.
photo credit: Stephan Rudolph