I put together a list of over 17 holiday gifts from around the world to help with your holiday shopping.

A teapot from Japan, an Aran sweater from Ireland, handmade pottery from Mexico City, and a leather jacket from Florence, are just a few of my favorite things.

They’re items I bought from my travels abroad and gifts that were given to me. But even though we can’t travel to the places we love, we can, however, give meaningful holiday gifts from around the world.

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Gifts from Japan

Japanese Tea Set

Sometimes, nothing’s as soothing as a good cup of tea. Green tea, often presented as a gift in Japan, symbolizes good health and longevity. Honor a friend or a family member with a gift of a genuine Japanese tea set and green tea. This year, a gift like this may be more meaningful than ever.

Japanese Sushi Sets

A sushi dinnerware set makes a perfect holiday gift if you make your own sushi or order take-out. Japanese traditional designs and more elaborate artistry from the delicate veins of a petal, to the care taken shading the leaves, provide an authentic feel to eating sushi at home.

Holiday Gifts from Italy

Olive Oil in Hand-Painted Ceramic Amphora

An amphora is a vase with a narrow neck, literally meaning, two-handled pitcher. This set gives you two beautifully designed hand-painted ceramic amphoras filled with Galantino extra virgin olive oil.

Galantino olive oil is cold-pressed, cold extraction, and produced in Bisceglie, Italy. It is the region that produces more olives than anywhere in the world. Everyone on your gift list probably uses olive oil and these will look absolutely great on the kitchen countertop.

Italian Leather Gifts

Leather is one of the most popular and sought-after specialty items from Italy. Florence became the capital of Europe’s artisan leather and has continued to provide leather goods of high quality and durability since the Middle Ages.

I love my Italian leather jacket from Florence. I’m positive there’s someone special in your life who would appreciate a fine leather gift from Italy, too.

Murano Glass Candy Bowl – Made in Italy

For centuries, glassmakers across Italy flocked to Venice, a key city for trade, to hone their glass blowing skills. Murano glass is only handcrafted and hand-painted on the island of Murano, Venice.

Stunning and authentic this Murano glass bowl has been crafted and hand-painted by artisans in the Murano zone of Venice, Italy. With a “Made in Italy” engraving on the bottom and the artist’s signature, you can be certain that this item is 100% Italian glass. It comes gift boxed, ready for gift giving.

Gifts from France

French Gourmet Caramels with French Fleur de Sel of Guerande

Bring a little bit of France to someone special this holiday season. These gourmet Fleur de Sel caramels or salty caramels are created using the finest salt from Guerande, in Brittany (western France).

Founded in 1957, Paris Caramels is a family-owned and run company. It specializes in the confection of artisanal chocolates and caramels. All-natural, beautifully boxed, and ready for gift-giving.

French Perfume

Perfume became popular in France in the 18th century. The aromatic plants grown in the Grasse region of France provided the perfume industry with a diverse range of pleasing scents.

A special gift, perfume is something people don’t buy very often for themselves. With beautiful packaging and alluring scents, perfumes are truly gifts that make the recipient feel special.

Holiday Gifts from Germany

German Christmas Nutcracker with Cuckoo Clock

Wooden nutcrackers in the form of soldiers and kings originated in various regions of Germany in the 1800s.

Nutcrackers are now widely popular as collector items and are meaningful and much-loved gifts.

German Christmas Ornaments

An Authentic Holiday Gift

The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree during the holidays goes back to 16th century Germany when trees were decorated with apples. Called paradise trees, they represented the forbidden fruit from Genesis in the Bible. Later in history, ornaments were round and made of glass, thus replacing the apples.

Did you know that a bird ornament reflects happiness and joy? A heart ornament means there’s true love in the home. Choosing an ornament that uniquely reflects the recipient is a thoughtful way to spread holiday cheer.

Gifts from Turkey

Turkish Coffee Maker & Serving Set

Turkish brewing is the oldest method of coffee preparation. The Turks perfected the process in a special coffee pot beginning in the 15th century. 

This stunning 16 piece Turkish coffee set is made in Turkey by Copperbulll. It’s a uniquely special holiday gift for any coffee lover.

Turkish Towels

The invention of the towel in the 17th century is associated with the city of Bursa, Turkey. Turkish towels began as a flat, woven piece of cotton or linen called a pestamel, often hand-embroidered. Incredibly soft and well-made they’re a thoughtful gift anyone would appreciate receiving.

Holiday Gifts from Mexico

Handwoven Mexican Blankets

Made by Traditional Mexican Artisans

• These handwoven Mexican Blankets are thick, soft, and vibrantly colored. Beautifully woven by artisans on a traditional wooden loom.
• Perfect for yoga, a day at the beach, camping, evening strolls, or as a great accent throw.
• These artistic blankets are machine washable and get softer and fuller with every wash.
• This is a GIFT WITH A MISSION. This Mexican Blanket is part of the Fighting Poverty Collection. Each purchase gives back through a charity partner.
• It comes in beautiful gift-wrapped packaging and is the perfect choice for holidays and any other occasion.

Mexican Pottery

Talavera pottery was first introduced to Mexico in the 15th century by Spanish settlers. The pottery continues to be made using the techniques and cultural influences attained over the centuries.

The colors are just incredible. I bought a planter many years ago in Guadalajara and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since.

Gifts from Hawaii, USA

Sea Glass Necklace & Earring Set

Naturally produced sea glass originates as pieces of glass from broken bottles, broken tableware, or even shipwrecks. Rolled and tumbled in the ocean for years, the edges become rounded, and the glass gets worn and frosted in appearance.

This necklace and earring set reflects the beautiful islands of Hawaii and brings forth the “Hawaii Aloha Spirit.” Each comes with a gift box and a ribbon, ready to give as a gift. My sea glass necklace is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. It’s light and bright and brings me joy every time I wear it.

Holiday Gifts from Ireland

Connemara Marble Bead Necklace

Found exclusively along Ireland’s rugged wild Atlantic coast Connemara marble is as unique as the spectacular Irish landscape it is found in. The green has almost every hue in arresting layers and patterns. Signifying strength and beauty this could be the perfect gift for someone who exemplifies those qualities.

Aran Sweaters from Ireland

Aran is a style of sweater. Known as a fisherman’s sweater it originated in the Aran Islands in Connemara, off the west coast of Ireland. The natural sheep’s wool retains its oils making these sweaters waterproof and perfect for cool, crisp Irish weather. Men’s and women’s sweaters are both available.

Gifts from Ghana, Africa

Handmade Basket

Bolga basket weaving originated in Ghana’s Northern region, Bolgatanga. The area’s dry soil paired with erratic rainfall and harsh weather conditions makes farming challenging. Basket weaving began as a means to supplement the income of the Frafra people, the main ethnic group of Bolgatanga.

Handcrafted in Ghana, West Africa, this multipurpose basket is perfect as a beach bag or great for shopping at the local farmer’s market. Woven with natural grass, it’s dye-free.

Fair Trade Certified products make meaningful gifts supporting work in safe conditions, building sustainable livelihoods, and empowering communities.

2020 has been a whirlwind of a year. But, if we can’t travel to the places we love, we can, however, give meaningful holiday gifts from around the world.

Gifting is so much more than just the physical exchange of objects. It can be a way to celebrate another part of the world with someone else. In addition, it’s a way to bring something new and unique into another person’s life. Most of all, it should have meaning, as the holiday gift becomes a wish for someone’s happiness.

Finding a perfect holiday gift is no easy task. However, I’m hoping my favorite holiday gifts from around the world will make your gift-giving a little bit easier. My wish for you is an abundance of joy and health for this holiday season and in the year ahead. Be sure to read How to Travel without Leaving Home.

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Boulevards and Byways Receives Liebster Award

Boulevards and Byways is honored and proud to announce it’s nomination for the Liebster Award.

The Liebster Award – About

The Liebster Award is an award for bloggers, given by bloggers. It provides the recipient with recognition, promotional opportunities, and engagement and is a great way to connect and support the blogging community. A big thanks to Molly from the blog, Molly’s Pitcher for nominating Boulevards and Byways.

What does Liebster mean?

The word “liebster” is from a German origin and has several definitions, some of which are: dearest, sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, and endearing.

How does the Liebster Award work?

Bloggers nominate other bloggers for the purpose of acknowledging and promoting their blog sites. If you are nominated you have the choice of accepting it, doing the work, and paying it forward. Or, you can refuse to accept it. Once accepted, you must complete the work, as you have the responsibility to the blogger that nominated you to recognize and promote their blog.

Rules of the Liebster Award

The basic rules of accepting the Liebster Award are as follows:

• Create a blog post about the Liebster Award. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog on your blog. Try to include a little promotion for the person who nominated you.
• List these rules in your post or include this link: Official 2018 Rules
• Display the image of the award on your blog — Images can be found in the above link.
• Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
• For the 2018 Liebster Award, write a small post about what makes you passionate about blogging.
• Provide 10 random facts about yourself. (This is optional.)
• Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel would enjoy blogging about this award.
• Create a new set of your own 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
• Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award and provide them a link to your post.

Boulevards and Byways thanks Molly, from Mollyspitcher.com for the nomination.

What I love about the blog is that her posts maintain a positive mental attitude. Finding balance in life is something most of strive to do, and mollyspitcher.com is a resource for women to share ideas about how to live a balanced life.

Her blog posts focus on childcare, delicious recipes, budgeting tips, and meal planning. Life doesn’t always go as planned, but Molly offers tips and advice to put a situation in perspective and make it go more smoothly. Her inspiring blog posts empower you to do everything you can within your control and then let your life unfold. Thank you again Molly, for the nomination!

As a part of the nomination from Molly from mollyspitcher.com I get the opportunity to share more about myself by answering her questions:

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR BLOG, Boulevards and Byways?

I love sharing my travel stories with others hoping to inspire people to “take the road less traveled” or “go off the beaten path.” After exhausting my family and friends with my travel tips, tricks, and advice, I decided to create a travel blog, and share my enthusiasm with a larger audience.

My blog promotes and shares inspiring things to do and see in the Caribbean, especially Puerto Rico, with the main goal of motivating others to do something or go someplace they’ve never been before. So many people are afraid to go out of their comfort zone when they travel.They only eat familiar foods, only visit the tourist sites, and never interact with the local people. To me that’s just crazy. Traveling is experiencing new food, the culture and the local people. You’ll never really get the full experience if you don’t step out of your comfort zone.

WHAT ARE TWO BLOGS YOU ENJOY READING?

The two blogs I enjoy reading are Rick Steve’s Blog  and Nomadic Matt. The content in both these blogs is always informative and engaging.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF Boulevards and Byways?

I’m proud that I’ve been able to maintain quality content and provide engaging photos. I’ve also been able to attract several tour operators and hotels asking me to write for them.

WHAT DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH  Boulevards and Byways?

It’s not so much as the blog that I struggle with, but everything else that comes along with blogging. All the social media promoting is extremely time consuming.

DO YOU TAKE YOUR OWN PICTURES OR DOWNLOAD FROM A WEBSITE?

I always take my own photos, however 1% of the time I may need an image of something I can’t convey with one of my own photos, so I will go to a site which offers free images.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE BLOGGING WITH YOUR LIFE ?

I own a direct response agency, Write Choice Marketing, that specializes in copywriting, strategic planning, and production management for non-profit organizations. Some of my clients are Guiding Eyes for the Blind and American Ballet Theatre and at times I’m extremely busy. After writing all day for my clients, it’s difficult to power up my energy to write a blog post. I do however, try to stick with a weekly writing schedule for my blog.

IF YOU COULD HAVE AN EXTRA HOUR EVERY DAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT?

I’d write something, anything, for my blog.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK AND WHY?

My favorite book has to be something by Ernest Hemingway. His writing is simple and straightforward, yet he has an amazing way of conjuring up amazing images and feelings. If I had to pick one to be my favorites, I would say A Moveable Feast.

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

The last book I read was A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.

WHERE WOULD YOU TRAVEL IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE?

There are so many places I haven’t yet been, but if I had to pick one I would choose India. I like places that engage me culturally.  From the food, to the architecture, to the markets, it would certainly bring me out of my Brewster, New York bubble.

HOW DO YOU RELAX AT THE END OF THE DAY?

At the end of the day I usually read or watch something on Netflix.

10 Facts About Sandy Ruyack, Boulevards and Byways Blogger

1. I love to travel
2. I have a 19 ½ year old cat named Titan.
3. I live in Brewster, NY suburb 30 miles north of Manhattan and I also live 12 weeks out of every year in Luquillo, Puerto Rico.
4. I was in Puerto Rico during and 16 days post hurricane Maria.
5. I try to live my life by saying to myself often, “Don’t be afraid.”
6. I’m a beach bum, but also an adventure traveler.
7. I dislike winter and cold weather.
8. My most embarrassing travel moment was visiting Paris and dressing as if I were on a beach holiday; capris and Sperrys.  What was I thinking?
9. My near future travel goals are to visit India, Italy, and Greece.
10. I have a big vegetable garden that I tend to in the spring and summer.

Why I’m Passionate About Blogging:

I haven’t always been passionate about blogging but I have always been passionate about traveling. Every summer my parents would take me on a road trip to visit my great aunt and cousins in Marcellus, a farming town in update New York. My father would take back roads and when my face wasn’t pressed against the car window, I was following our route on one of those giant fold out maps (the ones that could never again be folded in its original configuration).  I’m still like that today; although now it’s with my face pressed to an airplane window and the map is on my phone.

It was a great contrast from the apartment living and cement sidewalks that I was used to. My aunt had a working farm and I thoroughly enjoyed milking cows, chasing chickens, and picking vegetables from her enormous garden. I loved going everywhere and anywhere. Since then I’ve traveled to France, Ireland, Spain, many Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Belize, all over Mexico. There are still many places I need to go. The writing aspect unfolded when I decided, not too long ago, to take an adult education creative writing class. Every story I wrote in class was about one of my travel adventures, and a few years later I made the decision to create a website and the blog, boulevardsandbyways.com, to share my adventures and love of travel with others.

As I finish up this blog post, the last thing a nominee for the Liebster Award must do is nominate other bloggers.  I would like to nominate the following:

• Mona at monacorona.com
• Heidi at flyawayu.com
• Karen at sometimeswithKaren.com
• keepcalmandtravel.com
• thetravelbite.com

I also need to present the nominees with 11 questions.

Dear nominees, please answer the following questions:

• You’re a crayon. What color are you and why?
• Which two blogs, outside of your own, do you read consistently, and why?
• Describe the color blue to somebody who is blind.
• What two news sources do you consistently read and why? How do they inspire your blog writing?
• A giraffe walks through the door wearing a bow tie. What does he say to you and why is he here?
• What has been your best vacation destination and why?
• If you woke up and had 1000 unread emails and could only answer 200 of them, how would you choose which ones to answer?
• How did you learn to write professionally? For instance, did you major in journalism or creative writing in college, take writing courses outside of university, etc.?
• Name one item you must have when travelling.
• If you won the million-dollar lottery today, would you stop blogging?
• What are your favorite plugins and social media tools that you use and why?

It’s been a lot of fun answering the questions. Thank you again, Molly, for nominating Boulevards and Byways!

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