Playful Halloween gifts (even if you don't celebrate)
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You don't have to believe in ghosts to love a slightly creepy gift
Halloween has never been Italy's most heartfelt holiday, but in recent years it's become the perfect excuse to give something out of the ordinary: an object with that macabre-ironic touch that wouldn't feel quite so natural at any other time of year. You don't need to throw a fancy dress party to make the most of it. You just need to pick your excuse well.
What works best is dark humour done properly: not the eight-euro horror trinket that ends up in the bin in November, but something that stays funny for the rest of the year too, long after the pumpkin has vanished from the balcony.
For someone who watches too many true crime series
If you know someone who never misses an episode of a cold case documentary and has strong opinions on every investigation, your gift is ready: our Crime Scene Toilet Paper. It's exactly the kind of object that makes the recipient laugh and leaves everyone else baffled, the perfect bathroom for someone who treats every dinner as a chance to recount the latest murder they've studied. You'll find more ideas in the same spirit in the ironic collection, the natural home of everything that makes you laugh before it's even useful.
For someone who spends all day on their phone (so, nearly everyone)
There's an ironic way to tackle phone addiction too, and it's our Smartphone Prison: an object halfway between a joke and a genuine remedy, perfect for someone who checks their notifications every two minutes even while you're looking them in the eye. At Halloween it works as the perfect metaphor — "the real monster is you, never putting that phone down" — but it's a fun gift at any time of year.
For someone who never lets a grudge go (not even years later)
Every group of friends has that one person who doesn't forget a slight even ten years on, and who gives as good as they get when needed. For this kind of character a mug like our Middle Finger Mug is a classic that never goes out of style: direct, no beating about the bush, exactly how the recipient usually behaves. Halloween is the right moment to give it under the pretext of a prank, even if the message behind it is always more than serious.
For someone who loves board games but wants something out of the ordinary
If you host board game nights at home, a set that's a bit different is always welcome. The Hey Chess set combines the seriousness of the classic game with a design that strays from the traditional board: perfect to bring out on an autumn-themed evening, when it's dark by six and you need a reason to stay up late. They've got nothing to do with pumpkins or cobwebs, but that slightly irreverent flavour still makes them part of the same family of objects.
For someone who wants to refresh their home with a darker touch
If you're sprucing up corners of your home around now, you can lean towards pieces with a darker palette or a less conventional design than usual, without turning the living room into a horror film set. It's worth a look at the decor collection: you'll find objects that hold up perfectly well out of season, but get noticed even more in October and November.
The right excuse to get ahead on the bigger gifts
Halloween always falls at the end of October, right when the first thoughts about the year's most important gifts start creeping in. Using it for a light, ironic gift, instead of leaving everything until December, eases the pressure on both your wallet and your to-do list. And someone who gets a fun gift in October often appreciates it more than a "dutiful" one in December, precisely because they weren't expecting it. If this first round has got you in the mood to go beyond the theme of the moment, the gift ideas collection is still the broadest place to start, organised by occasion and by person rather than by holiday.
Also for people who don't give gifts, but treat themselves
Not everything you buy at the end of October has to end up wrapped for someone else. Plenty of the most ironic objects in the house are gifts people give themselves, as a little reward for making it this far through a year that's already slipped by. If you're looking for something to keep for yourself without spending a lot, have a look at the gifts under €30 collection: it's designed for gifts to others, but it works just as well as a small personal treat.
In short
- You don't need to celebrate Halloween to enjoy its slightly dark humour.
- A well-chosen ironic object still works long after the end of October.
- The ironic collection is still the quickest place to start when the goal is to make people laugh before being useful.