Singaporean gift ideas for Ramadan 2023.
Is Ramadan a time for gift-giving?
It is, as Muslims are encouraged to share and demonstrate generosity during the holy fasting month. Even if you’re not of the Islamic faith, you might be invited to a Muslim household to partake in Iftar or Hari Raya Puasa celebrations, during which it’d certainly be appropriate to bring with you a small gift.
Or, you might just want to express appreciation and encouragement for a co-worker who’s working hard while fasting. And so on.
The following are some Ramadan gift ideas to consider—a mix of everything from apparel to decorations to food. Now, as I’m not Muslim, I’m not going to recommend traditional gifts such as prayer mats and Quran stands. I’ll just say that such classic gifts are presumably still appreciated but might not be the best choices for non-Muslims to give away unless one understands the Islamic faith well.
Lastly, Ramadan is first and foremost, a holy month. A time of introspection, prayer, and Ṣawm (restraint). As such, any gift should be thoughtful and practical rather than fun. It is rather inappropriate to give frivolous presents during this season.
1. Ikea GOKVÄLLÅ Collection
Ikea is the place to head to this Ramadan, if you’re looking for exotic home decorations, textiles, and tableware.
The new Ikea GOKVÄLLÅ collection is inspired by the mesmerising Ottoman tiles of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, specially designed for Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2023 with comfort and style in mind too. Whether as house-visiting gifts or just to give your home an Anatolian shine, something from this affordable collection will surely appeal.
To share, I went to the Alexandra outlet to look for the GOKVÄLLÅ Block Candle Holder a day after I saw the advertisement at a MRT station. It just looks so great.
If you’re heading down to Ikea’s massive outlets yourself, don’t forget to check out their festive food treats too, with sweet delights like Ondeh Roulade Cakes, Mixed Baklava, and Gula Melaka Cakes on sale at family prices.
Lastly, if you’re looking to redecorate your home for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Ikea is having a “Buy 2 and get 1 free” in-store promotion, with 20% off BESTÅ storage system items. There will also be Children’s Raya Bazaars with fun activities on the two weekends in April. Check this official link for dates and details of the bazaars.
2. Discover M&S Denim
Celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri means lots of house visits while decked out in vibrant Baju Melayu and Baju Kurung, but that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be occasions for contemporary fashion.
Marks & Spencer’s latest denim collection for 2023 offers a wide range of desirable styles, available across Womenswear, Menswear, and Kidswear. All are great whether as gifts for your loved ones or for yourself.
Stylish, comfortable, and versatile, M&S’s denim wear are made with 100% responsibly sourced cotton too—you’d be doing your part for a better world with any purchase.
Needlessly to say, M&S also has a selection of cool and trendy tops to go with any fit of jeans you opt for. Head down to their stores to check out their 2023 collection today.
3. Niessing Jewellery
For 150 years, German jewellery specialist Niessing has been designing jewellery with passion and flair; you’d know how bold their style is if you’ve been by their Singaporean flagship store at Ngee Ann City Level 3. They are also famous for the stunning Niessing Spannring®, the world’s first “floating diamond ring” that holds a diamond without a setting.
Yup, a ring where the shiny gem floats without a clasp. Absolutely magical just to look at.
For Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2023, two of their other collections are gorgeously appropriate too, whether as a glittering gift for the lady of your life or to adorn yourself with.
The first is the Red Dot Award-winning Niessing Topia Vision collection—bangles, earrings, and rings inspired by the endless visions of pristine nature. Each masterpiece is a mesmerising representation of our world, created by hand-folding precious metal into exquisite patterns.
The second is the Niessing Colette C collection, an intricate but elegant system that allows anyone to create a unique bracelet, ring, or necklace. The winner of the German Design Award 2023 in the category – Excellent Product Design – Luxury Goods too.
Whichever collection catches your eye, it will make for a splendid and unforgettable gift.
4. Butter Studio
‘Right, time for food gift recommendations. Let’s start with … handcrafted pastries and cookies!
This festive season, the halal-certified Butter Studio is offering a wide range of festive and yummy goodies that would be perfect as gifts. From new creations like Mango Pineapple Tarts, Pandan Speculoos Cookies, and Milo Cornflake Cookies, to picture-perfect Raya-themed cupcakes and cakelets. (Their Raya Festive Cakelet seriously looks eye-catching)
If you can’t decide which cookie or pastry to go for, because they all look so delicious, you could opt for their festive platter or gift hampers. They even have a Happy Iftar Care Pack that comes with three fun cupcakes and a box of premium dates.
Best of all, from 24 March to 13 April 2023, Butter Studio is offering a 10 percent early bird discount on all Raya cookies excluding platter/gift sets. (Minimum SGD 100/- spend) While choosing your gift, perhaps consider … pampering yourself with a can or two of those cookies too?
5. Preserved Dates
Are dates classic Ramadan gifts? They are, since it’s traditional to break fast with them. However, I confess I only started “noticing” this in recent years. They seem really popular as gifts nowadays too, with even 7-Eleven selling special Aidilfitri packs.
For non-Muslims, I suppose a box of premium Medjool dates or similar is also one of the safest house-visiting gifts, as in, when you’re confounded over what to bring when invited to a Iftar gathering. I mean, this is something that just can’t go wrong, yes?
And if it’s dates you’re looking for, rejoice, for they are positively EVERYWHERE this fasting month. I popped into CS Fresh yesterday and there were at least five brands on sale. All very festively packaged too.
Alternatively, you could order online. All Kurma Singapore, for example, has quite a large selection for Ramadan 2023. Including chocolate-coated dates and other premium nut gifts.
Lynn’s Cakes
This festive season, the pastry masters at Lynn’s Cakes have released four “Hari Raya Cookies” that are all great for gifting. These are: Old-fashioned Cornflakes Cookies, Almond Pumpkin Crunch, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecan. The first is made using a cherished old recipe, while the chocolate cookies have no added sugar.
Outside of these festive specials, I think their cakes look splendid too—simply wonderful for any house visit or gathering. Moreover, they have a lot of flavours for you to choose from. There are contemporary favourites like Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake, Tiramisu, and Nutella Banana Chocolate. They also have regionally inspired creations like Avocado Gula Melaka, which is based on the beloved Indonesian dessert drink.
As part of their Aidilfitri 2023 promotion, Lynn’s Cakes is furthermore offering a 10 percent discount when you spend a minimum of SGD 150/-, with specials for first-time purchases and self-pickups too. Do check their website for details!
7. Baklavas
Like dates, Arabic and Turkish baklavas are nowadays a common sight at Ramadan and other Singaporean food fairs. They definitely make for great gifts too.
Distinctive in appearance and taste, and absolutely heavenly when eaten with the right kind of tea, baklavas are historically one of the most popular Ottoman pastries too, if not the most. Best of all, it’s not at all difficult to find Singaporean shops and outlets specializing in this nutty delight.
I regularly encounter pop-up baklava stalls at malls such as Velocity @ Novena Square. Whenever I’m visiting Kampong Glam, I make it a point to get some at Haji Lane’s Shalaby Sweets Turkish & Arabic Delights too. By the way, Shalaby, which is Muslim-owned, has a wide selection of Arabic sweets and gift packs too. You got to take a look at their online menu.
While visiting this year’s Kampong Glam Ramadan Bazaar, I noticed Cappadocia Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant’s stall selling them too. Cappadocia‘s stall is right before Sultan Mosque and facing Bussorah Street.
In short, baklavas are one of the “easiest” Ramadan gifts to get hold of. Certainly, a gift that’d be appreciated too.
Other festive celebrations in Singapore.
