Mothers’ Day is perhaps the biggest gifting occasion in Nagaland. Well, there is Fathers’ Day as well and though we do not mean to undermine this special day, Mothers’ Day feel like a lot more work than Fathers’ Day and guess why? It is because we cannot ask our mothers for help on the day dedicated to them. Fathers’ Day is more relaxed because we know moms are there to save the day. Also, the chaos of Mothers’ Day also teach us to be better prepared for dads’ day.
With days to Mothers’ Day 2024, those who are more organised have their gifts sorted out but for the rest of us, we just wish moms would help us. However, asking moms what they want for their special day will reveal our unpreparedness and may also mean having to hear them point out each and every failure we have had. In the end, 99% will say they do not want anything. But do not fall for that.
It is true that the best gift for any mom would be seeing her children together and getting along but the second best thing would definitely be gifts.
So here are Nagaland Tribune’s second best gift ideas for mothers in Nagaland:
HAND-MADE or HOME-MADE products
Naga mothers flip over anything that is hand-made or home-made. It does not matter whether they are very tiny or something they have no use of, they will cherish and value these items. They will love it more if it is made by a person they know especially if that person is her child but it can also by a person whose parents they know or by a person who is the neighbour of your friend’s cousin’s colleague.
Most moms love baskets, bags, embroidery, crochet, table cloths, baked goods, squash, honey, scarf, wooden bowl, jams and preserves, etc.
TRADITIONAL items
Our traditional attire is not easy on the pocket but if you have the budget, there is no gift that says respect more than them. It could be a traditional shawl, a ‘mekhala’, a stole (a stole is smaller than a shawl and bigger than a scarf) or a string of traditional necklace.
BOOKS and MUSIC
If the mom you know likes to read, visit a bookstore and pick a good book with the help of the store manager. In case you have absolutely no idea what sort of genres mom prefer, some safe picks are Motivational books, Self-help books, Cook books, Gardening books, etc.
Everybody loves music but we do not listen to music enough in the present day. With smartphones, we can listen to any song anytime but we get distracted by the other features.
If your mom loves music too and but is not capable of connecting her phone to a Bluetooth speaker, invest some time and put the songs she likes into a pen drive so that she just has turn on the speaker and listen to the songs. If she does not have a speaker, get her a compact one but make sure it has a USB port for the pen drive.
Trust us, it will be a gift for the whole household.
FLOWERS and PLANTS
Need we say more?
If mom is a flower fanatic like 90% of Naga moms, pots, planters, vase, seeds and saplings, gardening gloves and tools, even manure are all great gifts ideas.
If you are looking for plants, pay some attention and check if she already has that plant but remember same plant in different colour is ‘not the same plant’.
SELF CARE products
These include body wash, soaps, lotion, oil, moisturizer, sunscreen, shampoo & conditioner, hand cream, lip balms, masks, nail clippers, combs and brushes, loofa, etc. You can mix match according to your budget and put in a cute little bag or basket.
If mom likes make-up, add a lipstick, blush or nail polish. If you can stretch your budget a make-up palette or kit will be fabulous. Even a mom who does not apply make-up will never turn down a lipstick, but to be safe, nude colour will be a smart pick.
UNCOMMON gifts
If you are brave enough to break away from our usual tradition of gifting umbrellas, mugs, bowls and plates, bedsheets, towels, flasks, casseroles, blankets to our dearest mothers and father, we want to let you know that we are proud of you. While these are all things one cannot do without, there are other great stuff we can get for the same budget.
We know that if you order the gifts online, there is always the risks of late delivery or damaged goods but moms understand, they always do and especially, if it is a brilliant gift. We are simply suggesting online shopping because of the variety of options that are available and also the discounts. Also, always remember to read the reviews and check the measurements before buying anything online.
– Pillow: Ergonomic, orthopedic, memory foam pillows (Not recron, please. Be careful with those with micro fibre fillings)
– Table lamp: Not the chargeable torch lamps but a proper bedside table lamp with a pretty lampshade
– Wall hangings: Picture frames, paintings, quotes, painted plates, macrame, wind chimes, aesthetic wall hangings, etc
– Fabric: It may be for stitching a blouse, dress, table cloth, or anything. Some metres of fabric for them to transform into whatever they want. If mom is into stitching, they will also appreciate pretty ribbons and buttons.
– Hand-held Massager: You will get compact, easy to use, light massagers that you will also use maybe even more than your mom.
– Anti- skid runner: Who does not like stepping into soft, warm floor as soon as you get out of bed? Make sure it is anti-skid.
– Assorted tea: There are more varieties of tea than just tea. Try fruit tea or herbal tea and go organic if you can.
– Power tools: If mom is progressive and does not believe in stereotyped gender biased work division, get her a set of carpentry tools or a power tool, a saw, screwdrivers, etc. You can even present her a ‘dao’ (machete) but only if you can tell it is good. We Naga people have zero tolerance for weak dao.
GIFT HAMPERS
If you are still unsure about what to give or do not have the time to go shopping or are simply not made for such tasks, there is good news. There are several entrepreneurs taking orders for gift hampers for all budgets. We have listed some you can order from but there are plenty more, just ask around.
– Bedazzled_you (Kohima): 9863458584
The price of their hampers range from Rs 350-Rs 950 and contains apron, wooden spoon, tray, Mothers’ Day gift tag and bag depending on the range.
– Love Stitch Weave (Kohima and Dimapur) – 8259983383/ 9856480925
The name says it all. Their hampers start from Rs 500-Rs 2000.
– Omelo Bouquet (Kohima): DM on Instagram
Dried bouquets start from Rs 350 and fresh bouquets start from Rs 550.
– Basket_by_3ce (Mokokchung): 7635817370/ 8259824170
Hampers include premium bag, Mizo Puan, Bathrobe, gardening tools, bento cake, bouquets, etc depending on price range.
– Little Wishes (Kohima): 8257871004
Thei fresh bouquets start from Rs 800.
