Expats Abroad - Send A Taste Of Home This Christmas

Have you got family or friends living overseas and wondering what to send them this Christmas?

Whether they’re settled abroad or travelling about, they’re still an important part of your life and you’ll want to send them something special, especially at Christmas time.

Gifts that connect to your homeland are thoughtful and caring.

We have a few suggestions of what to send your expat loved ones this Christmas but first some fun facts!

Top countries Brits move to:

1. Australia
2. USA
3. Spain
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. New Zealand
7. India
8. South Africa
9. France
10. Germany

Top things expats miss about home:

• The weather (!)
• Our history
• Our food and drink
• Our sense of humour
• TV
• Football
• Family and friends
• The English countryside
• Pubs
• AND CHRISTMAS!!

So now for those gift ideas:

(WARNING-  check customs regulations, import costs etc. They vary from country to country).

1. FOOD & DRINK:

There are many treats that expats miss so why not make up a box of them?  Include:

• Tea:  Our love for tea is legendary!  And expats dearly miss a good old British cuppa!  Send them a variety of teas or their favourite one if you know.
• Biscuits:  Digestives and jammie dodgers top the list but there’s so much delicious choice out there.
• Crisps:  Salt & vinegar and cheese & onion are top of the crisp flavour list!  Or perhaps Quavers and Hula Hoops are their favourites?!
• Chocolate: It’s Cadbury’s that most miss, it’s said!  So pop in some of their favourites. If they have a taste for artisan, gourmet chocolate - take a look our our chocolate hampers.
• Yorkshire Pudding: Yep, apparently many expats yearn for it!  You can easily buy ready-mixed packets.
• Marmite: Famous and missed by so many!  Apparently, no other brand will do.

2. PHOTO BOOKS:

Yes, we can scroll through photos on our phones but there’s really nothing better than having those special moments captured in a book as a permanent keepsake!

Plenty of online companies offer this service.

A thoughtful and joyous Christmas gift.

3. PERSONALISED PHOTO CALENDAR:

Desktop or wall, personalise a calendar with your choice of images! Brighten up a dull but functional calendar with photos of family, animals, friends and places.

What a wonderful to keep connected through memories of your shared experiences.

4. KEEPSAKE BOTTLE:

Fill a small bottle with written messages this Christmas!  Funny, romantic, memorable scribblings - the choice is yours! 

Or fill it with small objects that mean something to your expat friend. Maybe sand from their favourite beach or dried flowers from the garden. You know what’s important to them

This will bring a smile (or tear!) to your loved one’s face.

5. PHOTO HANGER:

Photo hangers or strings that you clip photos onto are a great idea. They’re easy to send and to move around, making them very versatile gifts. You can even buy them with fairy lights – perfect for the festive season and perhaps pop in a couple of photos to get them started!

6. TEA MUG:

Mugs are simple but popular gifts.  When you’re 1000’s of miles away, a personalised, funny or sentimental mug will be very much appreciated and it’ll go with that tea!

You can design a photo mug online or even draw your own design to a plain mug at home.

7. SCRATCH OFF MAP:

The perfect gift for those who have travelled/are travelling!

A world map in poster form (can be framed if wish) and they scratch off countries they have visited. A fun way of recording travels!

An exciting and personal Christmas gift.

8. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS:

Send them a few Christmas decorations!  Either for nostalgia purposes or to help decorate their house, especially if they’ve just moved or are travelling around.

If you're feeling generous, you could send them a Christmas decoration or ornament that they remember from home or one that reminds them of you.

Sending them a piece of home.

9. PERSONALISED MAP:

A thoughtful, personal gift for those living overseas. Customise a map of anywhere in the world with their name, the year they went travelling or with a message of how much you miss them.

There are so many options available -  of meaningful places,  routes travelled or to be travelled.

A heart-felt Christmas gift.

10. READY- MADE LUXURY FOOD HAMPER FOR INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY:

Here at the British Hamper Company we have a wonderful range of luxury food hampers designed for sending overseas! 

No worries about regulations, customs and fees, we’ve worked it all out for you and the delivery costs are included in the price!

Send them a taste of home with our hampers filled with top quality British food from the best artisan producers. Delicious British food to suit all tastes and delivered to over 50 countries. See which countries we deliver to here.

Our hampers are carefully packed, beautifully presented and delivered, using a tracked express courier service, with your personalised message.

We hope this has given you a few ideas of what to send your expat friends for Christmas.

The most important thing is keeping in touch even when they’re on the other side of the world and probably experiencing a completely different Christmas from you!

Any card or gift (or phone call!) received will make them feel loved and appreciated. And that’s what Christmas is all about!