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Downtown Christmas tree lighting
Photograph: Courtesy Creative Commons/Flickr/ephemeramaDowntown Christmas tree lighting

The best Boston Christmas and holiday gifts

From local artisanal creations to designer fashion, you don’t need to go far to find the perfect gift this year in Boston.

JQ Louise
Written by
JQ Louise
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Shopping small and shopping local have come a long way in the last decade—and these New England creations are the proof. From practical to pampering, our list covers Boston gifts for even the hardest to buy for. Choose from sweet treats to facial treatments, even to a personal styling session. Keep reading for our best Christmas holiday gift finds in and around Boston. And if somehow nothing here strikes your fancy, you can always consider a gift card to one of the best restaurants in Boston or a membership to one of the best museums in Boston.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Boston

Boston Gift Guide

  • Health and beauty
  • Spas
  • price 4 of 4

Gift yourself or a special someone a HydraGlow facial from Dream Spa Medical so they feel completely refreshed in the new year! This non-invasive treatment removes dead skin cells and impurities, leaving your skin feeling completely hydrated and refreshed! The Dream Spa team customizes skincare treatments to your specific needs, so gift that special someone, or yourself, one of their signature treatments for the new year! 

Founded in 1924, Hilliards Chocolates is among New England’s leading makers of artisan chocolates and specialty candies. The family-owned business is now in its fifth generation, and customers across the country can order up seasonal faves such as caramel-dipped apples and pumpkin pie fudge, plus signature selections like almond toffee crunch and pecan caramel apple bark. The most popular gift is in the company’s name; choose from boxed chocolate assortments, packs of chocolate bars and chocolate gift baskets. Hilliards Chocolates can be purchased online at or at retail stores in North Easton, Norwell and Mansfield, MA.

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  • Shopping
  • Shopping & Style

With a shop in Nantucket and a by-appointment atelier in Boston, Jetter is a local jewelry innovator. This summer she launched her newest collection with a garden party on Nantucket at Greater Light. Named, “Lady of the Rings”, the collection is all about the power and diversity of feminine energy. Each of the rings in the “Lady of the Rings” collection features a different meaning, the goal is for the wearer to feel as if she is being protected by or inspired by the ring itself.

All the cool things found in the Seaport
Boston Seaport

4. All the cool things found in the Seaport

It is clear that the Seaport is now the coolest place to shop in Boston. With luxury brands like Alo, Injeanius, Kada and Crémieux all having storefronts in the neighborhood, there is so much to choose from year-round. But during the holidays there are about 100 special popups to check out as well—all found in the Snowport Holiday Market! Shop local artisans and creators through the end of the year at this family friendly attraction! (There are also selling Christmas trees right now as well and the best part is they deliver!)

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  • Shopping
  • West Cambridge

At Formaggio, unique gourmet goods are their forte. The stores in both Boston and Cambridge offer Mass-made chocolate, cheese, candy, condiments, charcuterie, confections and specialty ingredients, ranging from flowering teas and heirloom cattle beans to Hawaiian red sea salt and Piedmontese chickpea flour. If you think the in-person trip sounds overwhelming, you can also order online and curate an all-star gift selection.

  • Restaurants
  • Drinking

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun by Howard Carter and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Highclere Castle Spirits released a unique barrel aged Highclere Castle Gin. This limited edition of Highclere Castle Gin is made with botanicals grown on Highclere Castle’s Estate and barrel aged in French Armagnac casks, Scotch and American whiskey barrels with notes of honey, smoke and citrus. This gin not only embodies the spirit of Lord Carnarvon’s greatest adventure, but also of New England as the brand is based in Connecticut.

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Sons of Anarchy meets The Departed in this fast-paced, memoir from former ATF agent Ken Croke, the first federal agent in history to go undercover and successfully infiltrate the infamous Pagan Motorcycle Club, a white supremacist biker gang. Written in collaboration with longtime Boston journalist Dave Wedge, this book would be a great stocking stuffer for any true crime or thriller fans on your list!

Hand-poured in Boston, Sky Candle Co. creates microbatch, all-natural candles made from 100-percent, American-grown soybeans and lead-free cotton wicks (that makes them eco-friendly!). What’s even more to love about this brand is their give-back component as they donate 10 percent of profits to local animal rescue (the company is actually named after the founder’s French bulldog rescue, Sky). Fittingly, Sky Candle Co.’s top sellers are their signature holiday citrus and clove candleneed we say more about how perfect this is for a seasonal giftas well as their fig and white tea candle, which offers more of an appropriate year-round burn. Purchase online or at their pop up at Snowport in the Seaport from November 19 through January 2.

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Specializing in culinary gift baskets that feature fresh, seasonal goods from local purveyors throughout New England’s seven states, New England Country Mart offers an array of pre-curated and themed baskets, including their “Cheese and Charcuterie” basket with Grafton Village cheese and local fresh fruit, or “Best of Local Provisions'' basket, featuring Vermont maple syrup and Somerville’s Deano’s Creste Di Gallo pasta. You can also design your own basket, choosing from a lengthy list of tasty, regional goods, including wine!

  • Restaurants
  • Seafood
  • Back Bay
  • price 3 of 4

Nothing quite screams New England more than lobster, and The Summer Shack wants to bring that coastal feel to you with their lobster pot pies. If you’re local, you can stop by the restaurant to pick one up to hand-deliver or you can order online for shipping to anywhere in the U.S. Each delicious, nine-inch lobster pot pie features a creamy base filled with potatoes, carrots, dry sherry, heavy cream, green peas, shallots, garlic, thyme and one pound of lobster meat, all packed into a soft, buttery puff pastry.

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Have someone who loves to entertain on your list? Order something from Jono Pandolfi. The brand sells handcrafted ceramics that are designed for chefs, but available for the home cook. Theses American made products are not only chic, but extremely durable making them a smart addition to any home that likes to entertain.

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