Southern Gift Guide for the Holidays
Find everything from Kentucky bourbon to South Carolina’s BBQ treats in this gift guide for the holidays. These gifts are the perfect way to share the flavors and style of the South with friends and family near and far.
From Alabama to West Virginia, the South has a different Christmas culture from our friends in the north, with the Christmas sandman, rather than a snowman, as well as deep-fried turkey and the freshest citrus fruit as holiday gifts. Here are some last-minue Southern gift ideas before St. Nick arrives.
Jewelry for the Southern Belle
If you are looking for a holiday gift for your Southern belle, you want one that celebrates who she is. A Southern belle is beautiful, graceful, charming, virtuous, loyal to family—and also resourceful and brave when circumstances need her to be. If you are celebrating the holiday with such a woman, you need a gift to celebrate all that she is.
Fine jewelry will highlight her beauty. Whether it’s the holidays or your anniversary, you can browse this site for a beautiful rose in her favorite color that she can wear as earrings, a pendant or a set. You can also choose a rose that has been preserved for life in a particular color to mark each anniversary. For example, gold or yellow for the first anniversary, white or red for the second and so on.
South Carolina BBQ
Have a backyard party over the holidays with the gift of a grill master gift set with the best BBQ sauces, dip mixes, seasonings and more from the birthplace of proper barbequing. Choose original flavors and those with a bit of a kick. These sets can also include cheese and crackers, sweets, relish and seasonings, making it the perfect Southern gift for those who may be missing home during the holidays. This would also be a smart gift for a grilling expert, partygoer or pitmaster.
Kentucky Bourbon
Ninety-five percent of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky. Another ideal Southern gift for the holidays, bourbon is a whiskey that must be aged for a minimum of two years. Many premium bourbons on the market are aged between five to 12 years, with some as long as 27 years. The bourbon is aged in brand-new barrels, which are made of white oak and have been charred on the inside. Brands determine the varying levels of char for their barrels and no flavors are added. Bourbon is bottled at between 80- and 125- proof. Kentucky Straight Whiskey on a label is proof that the whiskey is produced in the state of Kentucky: the Bourbon Capital of the South.
Southern Football
The South’s preoccupation with college football is deeply rooted in its history and is considered a religion rather than a cultural experience. For example, in the South, you do not get married on a Saturday during football season, unless you accept that many of those you have invited will not attend.
College football took on so much importance because, while the South was unable to beat the North economically or in the Civil War, they could beat them at football. Tickets to watch the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins or another team in the Southeastern Conference would be a perfect gift for a football fan and a great stocking stuffer.
