Cozy Turkish Gifts for Winter: 9 Ideas Around Snow and Tea

Winter is the season of long evenings at home, and in many Turkish homes those evenings come with a glass of tea. One of our winter designs says it well: Dışarıda kar, içeride çay, "snow outside, tea inside". This guide collects nine cozy gift ideas with a Turkish touch, from a fleece blanket to a snowman puzzle. Each idea comes with a few Turkish words you can share when you give it, so the gift carries a little of the language too.

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1. A blanket for the couch

The Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay throw blanket is a light fleece blanket, 50 × 60 in, with the snow-and-tea design on the front. The design shows a Turkish tea glass with steam rising from it on a pink saucer, small snowflakes around it and the line Sıcacık bir kış muhabbeti, "a cozy winter chat". It is machine washable, so it can stay on the couch all season.

2. A mug for the first glass of the evening

The same design comes on an 11 oz mug and a 12 oz latte mug. Both are ceramic and both are dishwasher and microwave safe. Turkish tea is usually served in small tulip-shaped glasses, but on a cold evening a big mug of tea is just as welcome. You can see every product with this design in the Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay collection.

3. A hoodie for snowy walks

For someone who likes the line enough to wear it, there is a unisex heavy blend hoodie with a double-lined hood and a front pouch pocket. A crewneck sweatshirt with the same design is also in the collection.

4. A tumbler for the way to work

Tea does not have to stay at home. The 20 oz insulated tumbler is stainless steel and comes with a lid and a straw. If the person you are buying for prefers the blue nazar bead, the Nazar Değmesin tumbler is the same size.

5. A snowman puzzle for a quiet afternoon

The Snowman Day jigsaw puzzle shows a girl in a green coat and a pink scarf building a snowman in a snowy field. It comes in 252 or 520 pieces. While you build it together, try two Turkish phrases: kardan adam means "snowman" and Kar yağıyor means "it is snowing". More scenes are in our guide to jigsaw puzzle gifts for kids.

6. Pingucan for penguin fans

Pingucan the penguin is one of the Roots & Talks friends, and a penguin feels right in winter. The Pingucan premium pullover hoodie has a cotton face, a front pouch pocket and a three-panel hood. There is also a crewneck sweatshirt with Pingucan for someone who does not wear hoods.

7. A fleece blanket for a winter baby

For a baby born in the cold months, the Nazar Değmesin fleece baby blanket is 30 × 40 in with one large picture on the front. Nazar değmesin is what Turkish families say so that the evil eye does not touch what they love. Our guide to Turkish gifts for a new baby and new parents has more ideas. Other baby blankets and bodysuits are in Turkish baby gifts.

8. Ornaments for the tree

A glossy ceramic ornament is a small gift that comes back every year. The Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun ornament carries the Turkish way to say Happy New Year, and the ornaments with Grandma's Suitcase or Guest Slippers bring a piece of a Turkish home to the tree. Each one comes as a circle, a heart, a star or a snowflake, with a gold-colored string. All the designs are together in Turkish Christmas ornaments. See also our Turkish New Year gift ideas.

9. An enamel mug that says "put the tea on"

Çay koy, geliyorum means "put the tea on, I'm coming", a friendly way to say you will be there soon. On a 12 oz enamel camp mug it suits a winter hike, a cabin weekend or a kitchen shelf. The enamel mug is hand-wash only.

Which gift for whom?

• For someone who is always cold: the throw blanket or the heavy blend hoodie.
• For a tea lover: the 11 oz mug, the latte mug or the enamel camp mug.
• For a commuter or a student: the insulated tumbler with a lid and a straw.
• For a family with young children: the Snowman Day puzzle, built together on a snowy weekend.
• For a new baby: the Nazar Değmesin fleece baby blanket.
• For a teacher, a neighbor or a Secret Santa: a ceramic ornament.

Share the evening, even from far away

For many families, the first snow is a reason to put the kettle on and call someone. If the person you are thinking of lives far away, a mug or a card with a few Turkish words is a way to share that evening across the distance. Add a short message, a photo of your own glass of tea or a voice note in Turkish, and the gift becomes a small conversation of its own.

Winter words in Turkish

• Kış: winter
• Kar: snow
• Kar yağıyor: it is snowing
• Kardan adam: snowman
• Sıcacık: nice and warm
• Çay koy, geliyorum: put the tea on, I'm coming

Write one of these lines on a card, and the gift says a little more. For more small ideas, see small Turkish gifts for stockings and Secret Santa. For tea lovers, our Turkish breakfast gifts has more, and for families who live far from home there is our guide to gifts for Turkish families living abroad.

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