Tristan's 2026 Holiday Gift Guide
I love the winter holidays. The parties, the traditions, the food, the whole glowing month of it. I live for December! But my absolute favorite part of the season is giving gifts. I celebrate Christmas twice, both Danish and English, so every winter comes with plenty of gift-giving opportunities, and I take them all seriously. I spend weeks hunting for the right things: gifts that will actually get used, not just unwrapped. The gifts I gravitate towards are the lasting kind, useful things, natural things, things crafted with care and consideration. Objects that earn their keep.
I also adore a really good gift guide, the rare kind where someone has actually given the gifts they recommend, not just assembled a list of affiliate links. So I decided to make my own. The rules were simple: every gift had to be something I've given to someone (and that they genuinely loved), something I've used and loved myself, and nothing crazily expensive. After combing through my receipts, my texts, my house, and fifteen years of gift-giving notes, I landed on five gifts that have stood the test of time.
There is something here for everyone on your list: your kids, your coworkers, your love interest(s), your family near and far, your friends, and even your enemies. One piece of advice before you dive in: when something speaks to you, order it right away. The good stuff sells out early, and by the time the holidays actually arrive, only the “meh” stuff is left. The people in your life are too special for the “meh” stuff. Get them the good stuff. Get them something that lasts.
Note: I get nothing from this list except the joy of helping you find something special for all the special someones in your life. There are no affiliate links. There are no commissions. There are no dragons. Etc.
1. Cucumber and Roses Hand Cream by D. R. Harris
For: Everyone
Price: €11.50
Link: www.drharris.co.uk
I love a good hand cream. It's usually the last thing I put on in the morning before leaving home, besides my shoes I suppose. This one from D. R. Harris is both good and inexpensive. It smells exactly as described, of cucumber and roses, and dries quickly. It's an absolute staple for me and a lovely gift for most everyone.
2. Eau de Parfum by Santa Maria Novella
For: That special someone
Price: €245
Link: www.smnovella.com
I've only given this as a gift once. It isn't cheap, but it undoubtedly made the recipient, my wife, feel special. It's since become her signature scent; she wears it almost daily and enjoys not "smelling like everyone else".
3. A good notebook
I use two brands of notebooks and have given one as a gift more than once:
Smythson
For: The thoughtful individual
Price: €125
Link: www.smythson.com
I enjoy journalling, and there is nothing like putting pen to paper, slowing down, and giving my thoughts the time they deserve. The Chelsea Notebook from Smythson is not cheap, but the quality and the feel of writing in it are, to me, unrivalled. Lately I've taken to using this particular notebook for keeping special quotes and passages from books, but also thoughtful doodles and the occasional holiday journalling.
Leuchtturm1917
For: The thoughtful individual
Price: €35.95
Link: www.leuchtturm1917.com
This is my staple notebook for work. I've bought and used an uncountable number of these over the years and carry one with me every day. It's inexpensive, durable, and has been a reliable companion for years.
4. Klippan Blanket
For: Everyone
Price: €127.30
Link: www.klippanyllefabrik.com
A good wool blanket is the ultimate winter gift: useful, natural, and built to outlast all of us. Klippan has been weaving wool in Sweden since 1879, and it shows. This merino and lambswool throw is soft enough to live on the sofa and warm enough to be fought over. I was given one as a gift myself and have enjoyed it for years; it's rarely folded away for long before someone reaches for it again.
5. Kent Comb
For: The man with a beard*
Price: €5.50
Link: www.kentbrushes.com
A solid Kent comb is a go-to of mine. I’ve had mine for 10–15 years and it still looks new. It’s inexpensive enough that I do, in fact, have several, always packed and stowed away in bags, toiletries and so on.
* Though I use my comb for my beard, my wife often steals it and uses it for her eyebrows, I think ;)