Ramadan Hamper Ideas and Gifts for Eid 2021

The most sacred month in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan commenced on Tuesday, April 13 2021, marked by the first sighting of the new crescent moon, and is being celebrated by over 1.6 billion people around the world.

A time for self-reflection and piety, the month of Ramadan has many traditions and rituals, some of which will be restricted for a second year due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, this is a hugely important time for the Muslim community, and while aspects of the celebrations will be subdued, there are still plenty of ways to recognise the holy period from afar.

It is a time of selflessness and reflection for Muslims around the world, but also a time of celebration. With many celebrating away from friends and family this year, Ramadan gifts are especially popular. If you’re looking for Ramadan hamper ideas, we’ve got you sorted!

Gift giving during Ramadan

While gift giving isn’t necessarily a Ramadan tradition, it is a time of generosity, and in recent years it has been increasingly common to give gifts throughout the month of Ramadan, both among members of the Muslim community, and from others to their Muslim family and friends.

It is considered a great virtue to feed those who have been fasting, and because Ramadan meals are typically shared with other members of the community, gifting food for Ramadan would be especially meaningful amid the pandemic, where it’s harder to get everyone together. Bringing food to members of the community and to mosques is common during Ramadan, so an offering of food to a loved one in the Muslim community would be truly appreciated.

While the easing of some restrictions means Muslims in the UK will be able to meet and celebrate Ramadan together in smaller groups more so than in 2020 and will be able to worship indoors with mosques now open, celebrations won’t quite be as big as they are outside of the pandemic.

With that in mind, it’s important to find ways to celebrate together from afar.

When to give gifts during Ramadan

While there isn’t a specific day or period where Ramadan gift-giving is most suitable, when you choose to send a gift might help influence what gift you choose to get.

If you’re looking to give a gift ahead of Ramadan commencing, for example, you might choose to gift a new prayer mat or Islamic literature. Prayer, or salat, is a hugely important in Islamic culture, and especially so during Ramadan, a time when Muslims aim to get closer to Allah. A prayer mat is an excellent Ramadan gift idea for early in the month.

Fasting takes place throughout the month of Ramadan, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid gifting food. As we’ll explore further below, fasting during Ramadan takes place between dawn and sundown, but break fast meals are very important, so a gift of food would not be inappropriate.

Towards the end of Ramadan, you might consider gifts to celebrate Eid. While gift giving is not traditionally part of Ramadan; gift giving for children is customary during Eid.

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated as Ramadan comes to a close and the fasting period ends. Eid is typically celebrated with a feast between family and friends – but things may have to be slightly toned down this year.

A common tradition is to wear new clothing to mark the ending of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid. With that in mind, clothing would be a great gift to give someone in the final days of Ramadan. Consider clothes like hand woven scarfs or shawls for women or thawbs for men.

Ramadan gift basket ideas

Throughout the month of Ramadan, fasting and abstinence takes place between sunrise and sunset. Because of this, meals are important events throughout the month, as members of the community break fast together.

The suhoor is a breakfast that typically takes place around 4:30am, before dawn and before the fajr – the first prayer of the day. Maghreb is the sunset prayer, and after it is finished the evening meal, iftar, takes place.

As summer draws nearer, dawn comes earlier and sunset comes later, meaning the fasting period gets longer as Ramadan goes on.

The Prophet Muhammad is said to have broken his fast with dates and a glass of water, so both are commonly found in both suhoor and iftar meals. Dates and other dried fruits would be a very thoughtful gift for Muslim friends and family during the month of Ramadan.

If you are not of Muslim faith and you’re considering Ramadan gift basket ideas, you should be careful when gifting food as you’ll need to ensure that it is halal – adhering to Islamic dietary laws. It’s best to avoid gifting meats or foods containing meat by-products unless you’re certain that they’ve been prepared and certified correctly, and avoid any products containing alcohol.

Instead, fresh fruit would be a welcome gift to break fasting with – a fruit basket such as our Luxury Fruit Selection would make for a perfect Ramadan gift hamper idea. Gifting a fruit basket is a simple but thoughtful gesture. Fruits with high levels of natural sugars are also extremely fulfilling after a long period of fasting.

You can also go for other foods that don’t contain meat or alcohol. Nuts and chocolates are a great choice, and like fruit, provide energy after fasting. Look out for classic gift hampers with chocolates and other sweets, ensuring they don’t contain any gelatin. The Chocolate Indulgence hamper ticks every box!

Another great option when looking for Ramadan gift hampers would be a selection of teas. Our Tea Time Treats hamper comes in a gorgeous hand-woven organic seagrass tray, with an assortment of fruit, nut and chocolate-based treats as well as New English teas, a perfect gift both for during Ramadan or to welcome Eid-ul-Fitr.