Festive gifting guide 2025: Thoughtful picks from candles to flowers this season

Festive gifting in 2025 mixes charm, care, and ease. Curated picks add joy and meaning, making every celebration unforgettable. Gifting made simple!

The festive season is here, and it is time to think beyond the usual mithai boxes and cards. 2025 is all about gifts that feel personal, stylish, and a little indulgent.

A curated festive hamper, scented candles, and stylish plants create a joyful and personalised gifting experience for the season.

By Neha Ravi Khandelwal

Neha Khandelwal
Content Lead, HT Travel | Travel & Lifestyle Journalist
With over 10 years of content writing experience, Neha Khandelwal is a lifestyle journalist and the Content Lead at HT Travel. She specialises in destinations, hotels, aviation, luggage, travel gear, and practical guides that help readers plan smarter and travel better. Her work combines first-hand experience, expert insights, and extensive research to create stories that are informative, useful, and easy to follow.

Career Journey & Experience
Neha began her writing career as a freelance journalist in 2010 before entering mainstream media with The Times of India in 2022. She later joined Hindustan Times, where she has written extensively across travel, lifestyle, home, and consumer trends. Her professional background extends beyond journalism. Before moving into digital media full-time, she spent nearly a decade in interior design, managing residential projects from concept to execution. She also trained in visual merchandising with Shoppers Stop and Pantaloons and worked with women-led startups across design and operations. These experiences continue to shape her storytelling, especially in how she evaluates hotels, design-led stays, hospitality spaces, and travel experiences.

A naturally curious learner, Neha has completed beginner certifications in pottery, scuba diving, baking, creative writing, and other creative pursuits. She has read more than 2,000 books, trained in Bharatanatyam for 8 years, and ghostwritten a book on Ladakh tourism.

Subject Expertise
Travel is at the heart of Neha's work. She covers destinations, hotels, airlines, luggage, packing strategies, travel accessories, and emerging travel trends through a mix of reporting, product testing, and conversations with industry experts. A frequent traveller herself, she approaches every trip with a journalist's curiosity and a planner's mindset, focusing on experiences that readers can realistically recreate. From choosing the right cabin bag to decoding hotel openings and destination trends, her writing prioritises practical advice over promotional claims. Her background in interior design also gives her a distinct perspective on architecture, hospitality design, boutique hotels, luxury stays, and thoughtfully designed spaces.

Education & Professional Background
Neha holds a Master's degree in Interior Design. Her early experience in interior design, visual merchandising, and design operations gives her a unique understanding of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience, adding depth to her coverage of hotels, resorts, and travel spaces.

Editorial Philosophy
"As an avid, research-driven traveller, my goal is simple. To answer the questions you actually have before booking a trip. I cut through the promotional noise with honest reporting and expert insights. Making travel planning seamless, smart, and reliable so you always know where to go next."

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Gift-giving has been growing as a festive trend over the past few years. Diwali party favours are becoming essential for hosts looking to impress guests, while Navratri hampers for kanjaks are gaining popularity as thoughtful, curated treats for young visitors. From housewarming gifts to celebration goodies, people are increasingly exploring creative ways to make every occasion memorable with a little extra flair.

We have rounded up the top five gifting ideas that will make your loved ones smile and your festive game flawless.

1. Candles that shine bright

Candles are a vibe. Brass candles, in particular, bring a touch of sophistication to any space. They are the perfect way to elevate the festive mood and add grace and charm to your tables and nooks. Lighting a candle during celebrations creates warmth and a sense of ceremony, making it one of the easiest gifts to impress anyone.

2. Diffusers for a luxurious home

A home that smells divine is always welcome. Aroma diffusers and wax melt diffusers are trending this year because they add a splash of luxury to everyday life. Every sniff becomes a little indulgence, and these gifts keep giving long after the festive lights have dimmed. Tiny bottles of joy for someone’s personal space never go out of style.

3. Curated gifting hampers

Hampers are the ultimate way to show thoughtfulness. Shruti Agarwal, a gifting startup owner, shares, "People give us orders for hampers we curate as per their budget, but many also order empty hampers to fill at their own will. The festive season is huge for gifting, and everyone wants to match their Pinterest boards to perfection." You can mix candles, gourmet treats, quirky trinkets, or even a mini plant to create a gift that feels entirely customised.

Curated hampers for gifting are in trend both online and offline! (Shruti Agrawal)

4. Plants for conscious gifting

Green is the new gold when it comes to thoughtful gifting. Curated plants, such as Jade or peace lilies, are perfect for a stylish and sustainable gesture. Pragya Mishra, founder of a nursery named Upvanam, says, "Plants make great gifts. We curate terrariums, designer pots with festive motifs, and even wine glass arrangements to create an eco-friendly gifting experience. One can never have too many plants." They add freshness, personality, and a touch of sustainability to any home.

Plants make the perfect presents that are both sustainable and attractive! (Pragya Mishra)

5. Online gifting made simple and stylish

Online gifting has made festive shopping effortless and fun. From the comfort of your home, you can explore countless unique items, compare options, and have gifts delivered ready to impress. The convenience also allows you to personalise choices and add quirky touches that make your presents memorable. Some top online gifting ideas this festive season include:

• Designer table linens and festive cushions to spruce up any home
• Artisanal chocolates and gourmet treats for a sweet surprise
• Handcrafted journals, notebooks, and personalised stationery
• Stylish kitchen gadgets or barware for friends who love entertaining
• Customisable wall art or photo frames for a personal touch
• Unique party favours and celebration gifts that wow guests

This festive season, pick gifts that balance style, function, and thoughtfulness. Every present is an opportunity to create joy. A flickering brass candle, a fragrant diffuser, a lush plant, a curated hamper, or a quirky online find can make celebrations feel special. Festive gifting is no longer just about ticking boxes; it is about creating moments that make your loved ones feel celebrated.

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The author of this article holds a Master's Degree in Interior Design and has spent over a decade in research, teaching, and designing homes from scratch.

Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, concerning the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.