Christmas gifts for your wife in India: the main present, something under the tree, and the evening at homeChristmas gifts for your wife in India: the main present, something under the tree, and the evening at home

A husband's Christmas plan in three parts

In many Indian homes Christmas is a family day: a small tree, a plum cake, a dinner, maybe midnight mass. Whether you celebrate it as a festival of faith or as a December holiday, the gift for your wife works best in three parts: the main present, a small thing under the tree, and an evening that feels planned. We make candles, so we can help with the second and third. The first is yours to get right.

The main present. You probably know what it is: the earrings she showed you, the watch, the handbag, the book series, the trip she keeps mentioning. A candle is not a main present for a wife, and we would not pretend it is.

Under the tree. This is where a candle is right. Raajkosh makes hand-poured soy wax candles in Jalandhar:

• Vanilla Reverie, Rs 549: our one scented candle, vanilla, poured into an amber glass jar with a black screw lid and gold flakes on top. Vanilla is a warm winter smell, and the jar looks good on a dresser.
• Bonnet Teddy Candle, Rs 449: an ivory teddy in a blue bonnet and coat with a little bow. It looks wintry and sweet, a keepsake more than a candle to burn.
• Teddy Gift Candle, Rs 599: an ivory teddy with a pink bow peeking out of a gift box ringed with pink roses.

The evening. Braided Candles, Rs 849 for 4, in pink, blue, butter yellow and peach, down the middle of the dinner table. Or the Spiral Pillar Candles in navy at Rs 179 each, which look right with gold and red Christmas decor.

Which small gift suits her

If she is sensitive to fragrance, skip the vanilla jar. Every other candle we make has no fragrance added.

Two combinations that cross free shipping

• Vanilla Reverie and the Braided Candles: Rs 1,398. One for her, one for the table.
• Vanilla Reverie and the Teddy Gift Candle: Rs 1,148. Both for her, one to light and one to keep.

Shipping is free from Rs 999, and Rs 79 below that.

Making the evening at home feel planned

• Do the table yourself. Four braided candles, a runner, the good plates. She will notice that you set it up.
• Light the vanilla jar an hour before dinner, in the room where you will sit after, not on the dining table, so it does not compete with the food.
• Write the card. You can add gift packaging and a gift note on our product page. A line about the year you have had together is worth more than the wrapping.
• Plan around the cake. If you are ordering a plum cake or making one, the candles go on the table first and the cake comes out last.

What else husbands give for Christmas

• Jewellery, still the most common main present.
• A watch, a bag or a perfume, if you know her brand.
• An experience: a staycation, a spa day, a concert, a dinner at the place you went on your first date.
• Winter clothing: a good shawl, a coat or a cashmere stole for north Indian winters.
• Books and hobbies: the next title in a series she loves, art supplies, a plant for her balcony.
• A full scent range, if she loves fragrance: our one jar is vanilla only, so for lavender, rose or woody notes, look at brands that specialise in scented jar candles.

Ordering before 25 December

• We dispatch in 24 to 48 hours. Delivery takes 2 to 7 days after dispatch, anywhere in India. Order in the first half of December and check the estimate for your pincode on the product page.
• Prepaid only, by UPI, card, net banking or wallet through Razorpay. No cash on delivery.
• Return requests within 24 hours of delivery; damage reported in that window is replaced or refunded.

Lighting it safely

Never leave a burning candle unattended, especially near a tree, tinsel or paper decorations. Trim the wick to about 5 mm before each use and keep each burn to 3 to 4 hours.