Leandro Villegas' Lista
de Christmas  Gifts

Welcome to the COCINA Holiday's Gift Guides, the ultimate gift inspiration from Latinx artists, chefs, and creators. Discover their must-haves and favorite picks to make your gifting extra special!

This time, Leandro Villegas takes you through an eclectic list of gifts to please the whole family.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Christmas is a loud kitchen filled with my tias voices, my drunk Tios arguing about politics and sports, my cousins and I  stuffing our faces in buñuelos, pandebonos, and natilla, and some random baby sleeping in my bed while everyone else is dancing in the living room. 

But there’s a moment where all the chaos in a Latino Christmas gets to calm down and we connect with each other. And that’s during amigo secreto, or in American terms, secret Santa. 

As a person with numerous family members and countless trips to the mall back and forth throughout the years, today I present to you the top 7 gifts to get to your family or loved ones in this Christmas season. 

1. Artisanal coffee

This might seem like an odd gift for some people, but for me it is very meaningful. Growing up, I saw the power coffee had on my family. Every day at six in the afternoon, a simple cup of that steamy jet black water with some warm milk and fresh baked bread would bring our family together to sit down, talk, and debrief about our day. As a kid, I thought it was cool to see my cousins and play with them every other day, but looking back at it as an adult, I realized the importance of love, community, and connection that those moments meant for my family. 

That's why coffee is in my Christmas gift guide, and if you go with it, try to look for preferably indigenous or Latino owned  brands. My personal choice would be Planeta de cafe - it's a coffee brand owned by  Puerto Rican couple Jarrell and José Alexander. It’s locally grown in Puerto Rico, and the focus on details and quality of it surpasses any mass production ones. So give it a try and let me know how you liked it. 

2. Tickets to the Orchestra

Growing up in Colombia, you would imagine that salsa, bachata, and merengue made part of my day-to-day life, and in a way it did. However, I was constantly surrounded by Mozart, Beethoven, and Vivaldi in my house rent-free, thanks to mama. Classical music made a huge part of my childhood, and the sound of violins and cellos alone going up and down my ears would transport me to a totally different realm, one in which peace and commotion met. That’s why this Christmas you should go to the New York String Orchestra in an all-Mozart concert. Featured as soloist in the clarinet concerto is Ricardo Morales, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

So if your family likes classical music and are in New York City, I would suggest you go; tickets run from 25 to 75 dollars at the moment. However, there are tons of different orchestras and concerts going on all around the country during Christmas as well. So just look up for the ones in your city.

3. Octobuddy for your phone

We all have that one cousin that spends way too much time on the internet and is convinced they’re destined to become the next big influencer. And let’s be honest—whether it’s TikTok dance trends or perfectly curated Instagram posts, one thing an aspiring content creator needs is a great set of pictures and videos. The issues? Not everyone has a reliable friend or family member who can capture those moments properly. That’s where octobuddy comes into play. Octobuddy is a hands-free silicone suction phone case adhesive that can stick to any flat surface (depending on the model). It's way better and more useful than a tripod, not only because of space but also because of quickness. 

This holiday season, show your support for your social media-loving loved ones with gifts that elevate their content game. Thoughtful, tech-savvy presents can make all the difference in helping them bring their vision to life, perfect their aesthetics, and even go viral. 

For this Christmas, make sure to give the gift of creativity and accessibility to their dream of becoming the content creator they aspire to be. Who knows? The next viral star could be just a gift away.

4. Upscale Jewelry  

When it comes to jewelry, you can never go wrong with it, whether it is a birthday gift, a wedding present, or a Christmas one. Jewelry is that gift that can last a lifetime if it is well taken care of. 

Since I was a kid, my family always raised me with gold jewelry. Listen, I tried silver, okay? And it was not for me; however, whether you like gold or silver jewelry, we can all agree that it’s a staple of style and fashion and a pretty fine gift too.  

That’s why at spot number 4 for Christmas presents we have dos mil tres jewelry, a Dominican jewelry store owned by Emeli Morel. Their designs are very chic/modern and  their aura revolves around elegance, sophistication, and style. 

I think this gift could have a variety of demographics you could give it to, whether it is that one bougie tía with no kids who is all about her fashion or that one older sister who loves the old money aesthetics on TikTok. Either way, if you are looking for jewelry pieces who you think would elevate you or your loved ones look, check out dos mil tres latest collection on their Instagram page and website.

5. Wireless Microphone

Every family has someone famous, or at least wants to be. As a content creator who recently moved back to New York City and wants to take his content to the next level, I realized how noisy the city can be. So I came to the conclusion of how useful and necessary it is to have a professional wireless microphone in your content. Whether you focus on street interviews, vlogging, or just talking about your interests, having one of these little guys is so necessary when it comes to creating content.

That’s why in this Christmas list I’m including wireless microphones by Lavalier, their technology makes every sound crystal clear and would help you communicate with crisp anything you want to tell your audience. 

And would help your content upgrade to that next level. Who knows, you could be helping the next social media star become famous. 

6. Beef Tallow Skin Moisturizer 

Listen, as a Colombian, we are very self loving when it comes to taking care of our looks, especially during winter, since it's one of the coldest seasons and that would dry our skin more than regular.

Since I was a child, my mother and father always taught me to take care of the way I carried myself, because the first impressions are the ones that last. Especially as an Afro Latino/ black person in the United States. If you know, you know. One of the ways they made sure I cared about my looks was my skin care, mostly during colder months like December or January since your skin is drier than usual.  It is so necessary to keep your skin moisturized and healthy. That's why in the next item we have beef tallow by Frandora. 

Beef tallow is an alternative to moisturizer but without all of the chemical ingredients that might trigger your acne. 

This item can be found on Amazon from 20-30 dollars as the cheapest, and it will last longer than most moisturizers. 

If you or any of your family members need a refill on their cremitas, then beef tallow would be the perfect gift for that one person in your family that’s obsessed with skin care and looking good. 

7. Gift cards/money 

During Christmas we all want to buy or make something special and meaningful for our loved ones; however, sometimes the reality is that we cannot know for sure what our family members might be going through or what they might need at the moment outside of material things. A really good Christmas gift could be financial relief; getting a Visa gift card or cash to someone could be  the blessing they might have been praying for. 

That’s why in the last place we have gift cards or money, the oldest of the gifts, and you could never go wrong with it because, let’s be honest, who doesn't like money? I know I do.   

Overall, this Christmas list should give you an idea of what to purchase or give to your family these holidays. Whether it is skin care or jewelry,  content creation tools, or concert tickets, something you can take out of this list is the way each of these items represents something in me. So, this Christmas try to find something that reminds you of that one person who you care about the most, something that contributes to the uniqueness of their spirit to let them know that you care about them and you listen to them. 

Hope this helps.

Feliz navidad y próspero año nuevo!

Editor’s Note: Neither the author nor Cocina receives any commission or compensation from purchases made through these links. These recommendations are solely based on the author’s genuine preferences and personal favorites.