seasonal
Christmas gift baskets: who to send to, what to choose and when to order
Velvéa · 7 min read · October 12, 2026
Christmas gifting is mostly a matter of a long list. Family, of course, but also the friends hosting dinner, the neighbour who took in your parcels all year, the teacher, the clients and the team. Most of the stress in December comes from that list landing all at once.
Here is a calmer way through it. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday, which puts the last full working week before the holiday at Monday 14 to Friday 18 December.
Write the whole list first
Before you choose a single gift, write down everyone you intend to send to, with where each gift is going. Then sort the list into three groups:
- Local. Addresses in Mississauga and the GTA that our own drivers reach. These can be ordered later and can be anything in the catalogue.
- Elsewhere in Ontario or further. These ship by courier, need more time, and can only include baskets marked as shippable.
- Business. Clients and staff, which usually need to arrive before offices close for the holidays.
The sort tells you what to order first. It also saves you from finding out, a week before Christmas, that the basket you wanted for an aunt in Ottawa cannot be shipped.
Ideas for the people on the list
Family
For the people you will see on the day, a basket is a generous addition to the table: something to open on Christmas Eve, share on the day and pick at through the quiet days that follow. Chocolate and gourmet snack baskets are made for this. For family you will not see, a basket on the doorstep the week before is the next best thing to being there. Browse our family gift baskets.
The hosts
If someone is cooking Christmas dinner for you, the thank-you gift matters. Don't arrive with something they have to deal with mid-meal. Instead, have a basket delivered a day or two before, or send one in the days after with a thank-you card. A spa and wellness basket is a kind choice for the person who did all the cooking.
Neighbours
Keep it small and edible, something the household can share. A modest chocolate or coffee and tea basket says thank you for the year without making anyone feel they owe you one back.
Teachers, coaches and caregivers
The traditional moment is the last school day before the winter break, usually the Friday before Christmas week (your school board's calendar has the exact date). Many Ontario schools are nut-aware or nut-free, so if a food gift is going into the classroom, choose one without nuts or send it to the teacher's home instead. A gift from the whole class, pooled into one larger basket, is often easier on everyone.
Clients and staff
Business gifts follow their own rules on timing and tone, and they have specific tax treatment. Our corporate gifting guide covers the CRA rules and budgets, and how to choose corporate gift hampers covers what to send. If your list includes people who do not celebrate Christmas, a gift from our holiday collection with "Happy holidays" on the card includes everyone. For a list of any size, request a corporate quote.
What travels and what stays local
Every basket on our site is marked as either shippable or local delivery only, and checkout tells you before you pay if something in your bag cannot reach the address you entered.
As a rule, coffee and tea, packaged gourmet snacks, biscuits, and spa and wellness items ship well. Anything with fresh flowers usually stays local, and so do chocolate-heavy baskets, which do not travel well for days in a courier truck. Winter is easier on chocolate than summer, but a parcel can still sit in a cold truck or a warm depot. When in doubt, choose the shippable version for anywhere outside our local area. The Ontario gifting calendar explains how shipping and local delivery work in more detail.
When to order for Christmas 2026
| Who it's for | Aim to order by | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shipped gifts outside our local area | First week of December | Courier networks are at their busiest in December and slow down as Christmas gets closer |
| Clients and staff, delivered to offices | End of November | Gifts need to land by Friday 18 December, before many offices close |
| Teachers | A week before the last school day | So the gift arrives at home in time to bring in |
| Local family, friends and hosts | Mid-December | Delivery in the week of 21 December is ideal, and ordering earlier secures your preferred day |
| Delivery on Thursday 24 December | Possible locally, not ideal | Many people are travelling or already out. Plan for the 21st to 23rd if you can |
The exact delivery options for any address appear at checkout once you enter the postal code. Across much of Mississauga and the GTA, same-day and next-day delivery remains a backstop for the gift you forgot, but December is not the month to count on it.
What to write on the card
Every Velvéa gift includes a printed message card. At Christmas, warm and simple is enough.
- "Merry Christmas! Wishing you a cosy holiday and a wonderful new year."
- "With love at Christmas, from all of us to all of you."
- For hosts: "Thank you for having us this Christmas. We hope you get to put your feet up now."
- For a neighbour: "Thank you for being such a great neighbour this year. Merry Christmas!"
- For a teacher: "Thank you for everything you have done for [name] this year. Have a lovely, restful break."
- For a client: "Wishing you a happy holiday season and a successful new year. Thank you for working with us."
For more help with wording, see what to write in a gift message.
If you only do one thing early, make it the list. Once you know who is local and who needs a courier, the order dates mostly take care of themselves. Start with our Christmas gift baskets, or browse all gift baskets.