13th October 2024
As the holiday draws near, us NEIC team members thought we would debut a holiday gift guide, one that we have been wanting to post for some years. Many of us are patriotic New Englanders, who feel a strong connection to our culture and homeland. What better way to celebrate our way of life than by gifting our loved ones with awesome New Englander goodies? We’ve gathered the best of patriotic New Englander gear, plus goods from local, family owned businesses for you this season:
Stocking Stuffers
For small gifts, New England bumper stickers and flag patches are great to give to all your friends and acquaintances. We like these Free New England bumper stickers from Zazzle, and the flag patches from New England Revolution’s Midnight Riders supporters group.
For the Book Lover
For book lovers, there is no book that speaks to the soul of a New Englander than Radio Free Vermont. Written by Bill McKibben, it’s a tale of adventure, independence, and fun. Get your copy from the Vermont Book Shop.
For the Foodie
Everyone loves a good food gift and for our New Englander foodies, we have found the best in local delights. To start off, we love Stuart & John’s Maple Syrup, from Westmoreland NH. If honey is more your style, try the Boston Honey Company of Holliston MA for locally harvested honey. Cheese lovers will deslight in Cabot’s cheese gift boxes – pair them with Vermont Smoke & Cure salamis for an unforgettable holiday charcuterie board.
We also like Delavignes infused olive oils, from Waterbury CT, to add flavour to a meal or for dipping bread. For a sweet addition to one’s breakfast, try We Be Jammin of Warwick RI and their amazing jams. Flavours include Blueberry, Bacon, Mango, Marmalade, Maple Bacon, Rhubarb, and more. Chocoholics will love chocolate gift boxes from Hebert Candies – manufactured in Shrewsbury MA. No New Englander foodie list is complete without a pot of brown tea, so we recommend Tea Forte of Maynard MA.
For Her
New Englander ladies know how important it is to keep one’s skin moisturised in the winter. Badger Balm comes to the rescue, from Gilsum NH. We think the Restore, Recover & Rest trio kit is just dandy to protect one’s skin from the elements. For the fashion conscious, exude New Englander spirit with Kiel James Patrick’s Merry & Bright Sweater. For those gearing up for protest season next year, gift them a soft tee from Cotton Bureau in the colours of the flag. Finally, we think Connecticut’s own Dooney & Bourke’s All Weather Leather 3.0 Crossbody 22 is a great splurge gift.
For Him
If you’re looking to splurge for a sports fanatic, the back-to-back rugby champion New England Free Jacks have season tickets at just $240. For guys who love baseball caps, Kiel Patrick James lets them wear their New England spirit where everyone can see: the New Englander hat in Nantucket red is simply perfect. Everybody likes a good tee so here we have Cotton Bureau’s New Englander Flag t-shirt again. New Englander music lovers are sure to like Burlington VT’s very own Phish five CD box set.
For the Patriot
We all love Countryballs, epecially our one and only New Englandball. Get a cuddly handmade New Englandball plush by Anna Fortune.
And that’s all we have for this holiday gift guide! Happy holidays!