“Hey, let’s walk arm in arm like window-shopping ladies do in movies,” Lorelai Gilmore says as she and her daughter, Rory, link arms and step onto the escalator to get to the second floor of the mall. “Oh! I wish I’d brought a xylophone with me,” she continues, “There’s always a bouncy xylophone playing when movie girls window shop.”
The holiday season is quickly approaching, which means it’s time to start gift shopping for friends and family. During my annual autumn “Gilmore Girls” rewatch, I found myself wondering what I would buy each of the show’s characters if tasked with purchasing holiday gifts for them. In order to find the most special presents possible, I decided to do all of my theoretical Stars Hollow shopping at one of my favorite online retailers, Uncommon Goods, which is described as “an online marketplace to connect makers and their creations with shoppers looking for truly unique goods.” Any gifts I’ve purchased from this website have always been well-received, so I thought it would be a fun activity to do my hypothetical “Gilmore Girls” shopping spree there.
- Rory Gilmore
If you look up “bookworm” in the dictionary, it would make sense if a photo of Rory Gilmore was displayed underneath. Rory always has her nose in a book, so I made a beeline for the “Reading Gifts” section to pick out the perfect items for our beloved bibliophile. Considering her obsession with the aroma of Yale’s many libraries, I found a book scented candle that would be the perfect thing to include in her stocking. As for gifts under the tree, I figured I would treat Rory to a book subscription box, a poster for her dorm wall and a book nook reading valet (complete with a coffee mug holder)!
- Lorelai Gilmore
With pure espresso running through her veins, it’s no surprise that when shopping for gifts for Lorelai Gilmore, the first thing I searched for was “coffee.” I’m a sucker for stocking stuffers, so I grabbed a pack of exotic coffee samples to tuck into hers. I also thought the espresso martini infusion kit and the holiday movie snack essentials were ideal gifts for Lorelai. Finally, the owner of the Dragonfly Inn can’t leave home without her daily fuel, so the cold brew coffee maker carafe caught my eye, too.
- Emily Gilmore
Emily Gilmore, better known as “the host with the most,” is constantly involved with various events and parties, so I found myself perusing the “Mixology” and “Hostess Gifts” sections when shopping for her presents. While I don’t imagine Emily would dare stoop to the level of owning a Christmas stocking, if she did, I’d probably tuck a pack of these cocktail spoon straws inside. To continue along that theme, I thought the traveling bar cart would be perfect for those Yale versus Harvard football games, and the gin making kit and founding fathers whiskey glasses would be fun additions to their bar cart at home.
- Richard Gilmore
I generally like to stick to a specific theme when I purchase gifts for a person, so when thinking of a theme for Richard Gilmore’s presents, the first thing that came to mind was the episode where he bonded with his granddaughter, Rory, over one of his favorite hobbies—golf. Similarly to Emily, I doubt Richard would have a Christmas stocking hanging from the mantle either, but if he did, these 19th hole cocktail stirrers would make him chuckle. For gifts to put under the tree, I thought a golf gift set, golf ball whiskey chillers and a personalized New York Times golf history book would be amazing gifts for this golf-loving Gilmore.
- Luke Danes
While Luke Danes may appear a bit gruff from time to time, those of us that really know him know what a big ol’ softie he actually is. When gift shopping for Stars Hollow’s favorite diner owner, I took one of his favorite hobbies—camping—into consideration. Luke is a very handy guy, so I thought this camping multitool would be a fun find in his stocking. Along the same lines, I thought a fishing-themed campfire roaster, adventure flask and survival kit would be great gifts to put under the Christmas tree.
- Sookie St. James
I, of course, couldn’t forget about loveable Sookie St. James when doing my holiday shopping. As the head chef of the Dragonfly Inn, Sookie always takes extreme pride in her food and cooking. While this might be a tight fit in her stocking, I thought an automatic pan stirrer would be something she’d like! For larger gifts, I thought she might appreciate a seasoning kit, a family cookbook to share her favorite recipes with her children and a microwave veggie steamer for heating up Jackson’s fresh vegetables.
- Michel Gerard
If there’s anyone who deserves some extra holiday cheer, it’s Michel Gerard, the overly-sarcastic and frequently-grumpy concierge at the Dragonfly Inn. He is always dressed to the nines and takes his fashion and grooming very seriously, so I thought a de-stress gift set would be a wonderful stocking stuffer. As for larger gifts, I know that his two dogs—Paw-Paw and Chin-Chin—never fail to make him smile, so I wanted to get Michel some gifts highlighting his status as a dog dad. I thought he’d really enjoy custom painted pet portraits and custom pet portrait cufflinks to honor his two precious pups, and a dog bowl bottle would be great for long walks at the park!
- Lane Kim
Lane Kim needs some gifts fit for a rockstar—she not only provides rhythm and structure as drummer and co-founder of rock band Hep Alien, but she’s such a loyal best friend to Rory. I thought Lane would appreciate finding this music lovers gift set in her Christmas stocking, complete with drumstick pens and music playing cards. For larger gifts, I thought she’d love a personalized amp doormat and personalized family band art, along with a ticket stub diary to store all of her concert-related memories.
- Paris Geller
In all my years of watching television, I don’t think I’ve ever known a character more neurotic than Paris Geller. As a star student at Chilton, editor of the Yale Daily News and rival-turned-friend of Rory, it’s clear why Paris is constantly stressed. To combat this, I thought the perfect Hanukkah gifts for her would include a yoga card deck—perfect for her stretching sessions with Doyle—an adjustable laptop desk for those late nights of article-writing, an embroidered college pillow and a New York Times custom birthday book.
- Christopher Hayden
Finally, there’s really only one gift I could think of that was fit for Rory’s deadbeat dad, and thankfully Luke was able to deliver it for me!
If you’re someone in need of some unique holiday gifts for friends and family, I truly can’t recommend Uncommon Goods enough. With countless categories for gift recipients of all kinds, you can find something for anyone on your shopping list, including the characters of “Gilmore Girls.”