Your friends, your family, that random colleague you got for Secret Santa… Maybe they’re francophiles, maybe they’re currently in the process of being converted by you – either way, they need French gifts.
It’s the best time of the year, with the best things like food, drinks, and ALL-CAPS ENTHUSIASM! FOOD, PRESENTS, WINE, PRESENTS, FAMILY, PRESENTS, DID WE MENTION PRESENTS?! TBH, presents are the best part of the holidays (sorry, Mom and Dad! I promise you’re a close second!) That said, France, French, and Francophone culture is #1 in Frenchly’s hearts for the rest of the year.
So we, Frenchly, have taken the best of the holidays (gifts) and the best of the rest of the year (France, etc. #NoShame) and combined them for the best French gift list for all the Francophiles (and not yet converted Francophiles) in your life.
Voila!
1. “I Speak French Fries” Shirt
for your sister that thinks your French obsession is ridiculous
She may never wear a simple nautical stripe shirt, and she may not speak French (yet), but who isn’t into French fries? (Literally no one.) This shirt a compromise, combining your love of France with her love of America. Very much in the spirit of the season, no?
Buy it for $16.00 here.
2. Tour de France History 1906-2016 Cycling Poster
for that uncle that has a group of friends he bikes with
According to the census, every family has someone who likes to bike. Or at least, it probably would if the census asked stuff like that. And if he’s as finicky about this uneven poster layout as he is about his bike chain, there’s a 100-years version that fills out the poster so it’s 10×10.
Buy it for $26 (or more depending on the size) here.
3. A Provence-Inspired Tablecloth
for the Grandmother that hosts family dinners
Inspired by the sunflower fields in Provence, this fabric of this tablecloth was made in France. Machine-washable, stain resistant, and requiring no ironing, the tablecloth is grandchild-proof. Make sure to let Grandma know that the border of tiny bees represent French royalty. Your knowledge sure to impress any Grandma who thinks anyone younger than her isn’t cultured.
Buy it for $139.00-$269.00 (depending on size) here.
4. Kanye+West T-Shirt
for your hipster brother who secretly likes Kanye West
#Pray4Yeezy and pray for your brother who is too busy trying to be Brooklyn-cool to admit that he likes Kanye West (a.k.a. Manhattan cool.) This French-made t-shirt makes everyone happy: it’s made by a French company (Le Rebus Nouveau), Kanye is on it, but Kanye is not explicitly on it.
Buy it for 26 euros here.
5. The Parisian Couple Box
for your friends that will probably get married
An American couple might order Chinese food in, watch Netflix, and go to bed early. It’s not a dead-end life though, they can level up. A Parisian couple explores the city, their apartment smells excellent, they write about their life (every French person is born writing poetry), snacking on chocolate all day long.
Buy it for $68.34 here.
6. Postcards of France
for your mom who really misses you
She misses you, a lot. And honestly, you don’t call as much as you should. Here’s the beauty of postcards: it’s a handwritten note so it feels more meaningful; everyone who remembers when stamps were 34 cents enjoys getting mail; it’s faster to write a postcard than make a phone call because you have to leave room for the address.
Buy her an assortment of postcards for on average $1.00 here.
7. The Wine of the Month Club/Wine
for your dad who now lives with mom alone because you moved out
You wouldn’t have to get your dad this if you called mom more, but mom has been bummed and complaining that you won’t call, so dad is turning to wine. The Wine of the Month club sends out wine from all over the world, but what’s one of the first things people think of when they think of France? Wine.
Buy starting at $23.96/month here.
8. A Cheese Platter and its’ Contents
for your aunt that you keep promising to call but haven’t
Besides wine, the other thing people think of when they think of France is cheese. And let’s be honest, if you aren’t calling your mom you aren’t calling your aunt. So get her a cheese platter shaped like France, and promise to buy the contents (the vehicle (aka cracker), the sweet (aka grape), the savory (aka olive), the cheese) and come over to catch up. (Note: you must follow through, or else this gift is just a big, France-shaped disappointment.)
Buy the platter starting at $30.00 here.
9. Boules Set (Pétanque)(Bacci Ball)
for your grandpa that really should get out of his La-Z-Boy more often
If you’ve ever been to the south of France in the summer, you know that the hour immediately after lunch is devoted strictly to pétanque. And maybe some time earlier in the day and later. Your grandpa can get up off the couch with this pétanque set. Make sure you teach him how to play!
Buy it for $29.99 here.
10. French Bulldog “Parlez-vous Francais?” Shirt
For the child that hasn’t yet picked which foreign language they’ll take in high school
Ah, the strangely suddenly trendy French Bulldog. Feed into the trend, and you’ll definitely convince the middle schooler in question to commit to learning about Frenchies for at least the four years of high school to come.
Buy it starting at $11.99 here.
11. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
For that person who is doing a really good job at adulting
American adulting (adulting – v. to behave like an adult) is hard, but if you’ve know someone who adults well, then it’s time for them to level-up: French adulting. Step one to French adulting is French cooking, and Julia Child (in cookbook form) is the perfect spirit-guide-to-the-kitchen.
Buy it for $20.39 here.
12. How to be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas
for your American roommate from study abroad
She might have sent you this gift guide (if so, take it as a hint that this is what she wants you to buy her.) These four French gurus prove their French prowess in a book that is both entertaining and helpful. They comment on and explain French culture, and help you add it to your life. It’s the French gift that keeps on giving French.
Buy it for $14.35 here.
14. A French Press
for your coffee-addicted significant other
The perfect gift is the gift that a) you give someone, b) pushes French into someone life, c) gives back to you through caffeine. Every holiday season, let yourself give a gift that is mutually beneficial to both you and the receiver. You spend a lot of time with your significant other, so really you’re being responsible and efficient by choosing to give them (and you) this French Press.
Buy it for $29.95-$50.00 (depending on the size) here.
15. French Food
for literally anyone.
The simplest gift to give is of course French food, so if you speak French, head over to the French Morning Marché and order up traditional French products straight from France. Bon appetit!
All photos are courtesy of the brands selling that product.
