'Tis the Season...To Shop

The appearance of wreaths on lampposts and the Milky Way strewn across Mass. Ave. means that holiday season is here, with peace on earth, goodwill toward men--and unbearable shopping stress. There's a wealth of stores close at hand in the Square, but it's easy to get lost in the profusion. Save yourself a rough week with this holiday gift guide, with intriguing new choices for everyone on your list.

Pangurbn

In a mass-produced world, this delicate, handmade booklet is perfect for the poetically inclined. A small, tissue-and-calligraphy creation that you'll never find at Barnes and Noble. This ancient Irish poem about the friendship between a monk and his cat makes a unique, friendly and thoughtful gift.

"You get Irish history, Celtic mythology and cats," says Louisa Solano, president of the Grolier Poetry Book Shop. A meaningful gesture in a small package.

Price: $7.00

Sold at: Grolier Poetry Book Shop, 6 Plympton St.

Perugina pannetone

This dome-shaped Italian cake in its bright red box will add to your holiday spirit. It's tasteful, ornamental and easy, and the box is pretty enough to give without wrapping paper. Pannetone is a perfect alternative to the usual holiday cakes and cookies--a fruitcake that won't seem clich. Locals who savor this Square institution have made it a top holiday seller for years.

"It has dried fruit, cake--people love pannetone!" says Cardullo's General Manager Margaret Barrett.

Price: $18.99 for a 2-pound, 3.2-ounce cake, or $3.49 for 3.5 ounces.

Sold at: Cardullo's Gourmet Shoppe, 6 Brattle St.

Ginger body scrub

If you're tired of the Body Shop, Origins' ginger body scrub offers a refreshing change from the ordinary. This ivory-colored exfoliant--made from Dead Sea salt, macadamia oil and ginger--doesn't look like much, but the soft, silky sensation it leaves behind is a perfect antidote for winter chapping.

"You know how you keep putting lotion on your hand this time of

the year--lotion, more lotion--but your skin still feels dry?" says Paula Warchol, makeup trainer at Origins. "This is the best. You'll be amazed."

Even better is the delicious fragrance, a warm, cheerful scent that lasts all day.

"I had some furniture delivered into my apartment," Warchol laughs, "and the delivery men were like, 'Wow, what's that smell?' ... It's so fun, it really is."

Price: $30.00

Sold at: Origins, 8 Brattle St.

Scented candles

Harvard may not let you light them, but Urban Outfitters' selection of scented candles make great gifts anyway. They come in a range of patterns, sizes and smells, individually and in packs of three and four. The colorful candles are wonderful eye candy for a drab corner of any dorm room, and the scents are more intriguing than the usual bayberry and pine.

"Candles are doing really well," says Urban Outfitters store manager Johnny Stafford. And with many candles available for under $10, they come in under most Secret Santa budgets.

Price: $6.00 to $12.00

Sold at: Urban Outfitters, 11 JFK St.

Tier-top fleece hats

Soft, fuzzy, and warm, this hot item comes in red, blue, burgundy, black, gray and ecru to match any and all moods. With a coordinating fleece tie on top, these trendy headcovers will leave your significant other with warm memories. They're simple and cute, certain to make anyone look good. And the fleece feels great--lighter and fluffier than the traditional wool cap, yet thick enough to keep ears warm. Price: $18.00

Sold at: Jasmine Sola, 37A Brattle St.

Interpreter of Maladies

Jhumpa Lahiri won this year's Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for this moving collection of stories about Indian-Americans and the challenges of immigration. Some of the tales hit close to home, like "Third and Final Continent," about an Indian man who struggles to adapt to life in Cambridge and eventually sends a son to Harvard.

Indian-American literature has been sparse until recently, but Lahiri's book, her first, should shine a new spotlight on this growing genre. A beautiful, sensitive collection that will please the readers on your shopping list.

Price: $10.80

Sold at: Wordsworth, 30 Brattle St.

Waterman "Preface" fountain pen

This classic fountain pen comes in blue, red, brown marble and basic black, and Bob Slate salesperson Brian Oles says it's a favorite year-round. Sporting a solid 18 carat gold nib, the Preface has a simple, clean design and minimal leakage that has received rave reviews from customers.

"With levelly understated lines, it's elegant without being overstated," Oles says. A special item to spice up signatures and love letters, or just a luxurious way for your friend to do her problem sets.

Price: $143.00

Sold at: Bob Slate Stationer, 1288 Mass. Ave.