21 March 2019

For thoughtful and appropriate gifting this holy month.

As a time for reflection and contemplation, Ramadan is a great time to show appreciation and gratitude for your employees, business partners, colleagues and various business stakeholders. 

Gifts during the holy month are symbolic gestures exchanged between Muslims and observed both in a personal and corporate environment. From luxurious hampers filled with sparkling grape juice and chocolate-enveloped dates to bespoke personalized boxes of tea – what is the right gift to give during Ramadan? 

Corporate gifting speaks volumes of the level of appreciation for the business relationship and most importantly, reflects on yourself and your company. 

Here are 7 tips to land you your perfect Ramadan corporate gift

1. Minimal Logos

Your gift is a gesture of gratitude and hence overt branding should be kept to a minimum. Prevent coming across as a PR or sales exercise but instead a way to connect with your clients and colleagues and show appreciation for the business relationship. Instead, a simple and sleek embossed logo with your company is enough to be remembered for a corporate gift. Similarly, promotional inserts, pamphlets and any form of advertising should also be avoided. 

2. Simple and Subtle is Key 

Ramadan is a time to detach from worldly pleasures and focus on one’s inner self. A period of self-cleanse, reflection and purification – this is a period where less is more as Muslims remind themselves about the less fortunate. This is also why charity is also very common during this time for Muslims. 

While it is important to show appreciation for important clients, this should be done in an unostentatious way. Trade in luxurious hampers featuring gold dusted sparkling wine beverages for a subtle yet symbolic selection of detox teas that is not only cleansing but also healthy. Ironically, big is not always better this holiday.

Opt for tailored experiences, bespoke personalization and customised gifts instead to show above-and-beyond appreciation.

AVANTCHA Tea Gifts
AVANTCHA Corporate Gift | Tea Gifts

3. Themed and Creative Gifting 

Whilst there are many companies looking to differentiate and ‘stand-out-of-the-crowd’ with unconventional corporate gifts – we suggest sticking with themed gifts with a twist. From modern Arabic illustrations to creative gifts – a touch of traditional theme with symbolic importance in Islamic religion alongside creativity goes a long way. 

We’ve broken down a few of the most popular Ramadan symbols and explain each of its importance – 

  • Dates – a symbol of wealth and abundance; dates are a stable on an iftar table during Ramadan. Muhammad’s humble iftar table always had dates 

  • Tea– a symbol of hospitality and business etiquette; tea is commonly served during business meetings and social events and has been drunk by Arab people for centuries. Tea is considered to be a healthy drink that purifies and cleanses the body due to its ‘hot boiled’ nature that kills off bacteria that would otherwise cause one to be ill 
  • Crescent Moon and Star – a symbol of Apart from being the international symbol of Islam, the crescent moon and star symbolize that Muslim holidays follow a lunar calendar helping to understand why their dates change every year

  • Lanterns and oil burners– a symbol of hope; as in “light in the world” 

4. Timed Arrivals

Make sure your item arrives when it’s supposed to. If it’s a perishable food item, it should arrive when people are around, not on a weekend or when the office has already closed for the holidays. Bear in mind Ramadan is a period of fasting, shortened working hours and extended holidays hence dates, days and timed arrivals are highly important. 

Leaving perishable food items parked in a public area of a corporate environment (especially if they have an odor) might cause offense to fasting colleagues. During Ramadan, perishable food and beverages displayed in public are typically frowned upon and can be treated as signs of disrespect. 

AVANTCHA Card

5. Personal Note Cards  

Depending on seniority as well as closeness of the working relationship, you should tailor the gifting experience as much as possible. You are gifting them for a reason and hence your gift and all its details – personalized notes, customized logos and colour, should be considered.  

Handwritten personal note cards go a long way with making a good impression and should include a Ramadan greeting for an extra touch of personalization. 

6. Ramadan Greetings

It is a common gesture to exchange Ramadan greetings with Muslim colleagues and clients during the holy month. When sending a personal note card, be sure to also include a Ramadan greeting. You can also get it engraved on the exterior of your gift. 

Below are some examples of common Ramadan greetings:

  • Ramadan Kareem– Have a generous Ramadan
  • Ramadan Mubarak– Happy Ramadan 
  • Kul ‘am wa enta bi-khair– May every year find you in good health 
  • As-Salam-u-Alaikum– Peace be unto you
  • Eid Mubarak(used on the last day of Ramadan) – Blessed Eid 

7. Colour Matters 

Ramadan is period of solidarity and solemnity. The below shows a guideline of colours to adhere to and steer away from  

  • Colours to use: green, white, brown, black 
  • Colours to avoid: loud and flamboyant colours such as red, yellow or saffron 

General rule of thumb: opt for subtle and simple colours allowing your gift to speak volumes for itself. 

For subtle yet symbolic personalized boxes of dates and tea, contact us at info@avantcha.com

View our Ramadan catalogue guide here.