It's just a couple of weeks before the end of the year, and the holiday excitement is already in the air. Everyone eagerly looks forward to exciting days ahead with family, friends and loved ones. Christmas and New Year seem incomplete without friends' parties and family gatherings. The Christmas festivities start on the 25th of December and extend till the New Year, bidding goodbye to the current year and welcoming the New Year with renewed hope, new dreams and aspirations.

It's hard to imagine Christmas or New Year's eve without good food. This is because one almost always stays awake till the wee hours with family and friends celebrating, enjoying and creating happy moments that will be cherished for a long time. Planning and preparing food for parties and gatherings during this time thus becomes an important yet exciting task. Be it a high-octane new year's eve bash with your friends or a traditional Christmas dinner with your family, one must have sufficient food planned for not just dinner but also snacks and light bites that will keep the party running the full night. Kitchen preparations, from appetizers to desserts, will have a unique celebratory mood if you have the right cookware set. Trendy and elegant cookware undoubtedly helps set the right mood inside the kitchen, which transfers into the entire home. While the most important factors when choosing cookware include style, convenience, sturdiness and usefulness, Christmas and New Year is the perfect occasion to add another important factor to this list – being responsible.

It is time that anyone and everyone should make a personal choice to choose sustainable products over plastics whenever there is such an option available. Being environmentally responsible should be an important factor to be kept in mind in all celebrations – big and small - to make them truly meaningful. This is more so for New Year celebrations as it reminds us that our planet is one more year older and that, as current citizens of Earth, we must protect and nurture it for our future generations.

Here is a list of handpicked environment-friendly cookware that must be part of every kitchen as preparations kick off for Christmas and New Year this year:

1. Wooden Spoons & Ladles with Holder

The Wooden Spoons & Ladles Set from Nurture India will be an awesome addition to your Christmas dinner set this year. Made from acacia wood, the set comprises 12-inch long handy spoons and ladles – altogether, five pieces. These can be used for cooking as well as serving. The set also comprises a 5x3-inch wooden holder to keep these items safe.

1. 4-inch Snowflake Copper Baking Mould

This Snowflake Baking Mould by Suite No. 8 is made of gleaming copper for a hassle-free baking experience. This 4-inch Mould is hard enough to give your cake the right shape and soft enough to keep the goodness of ingredients intact. To clean, handwash using mild detergent and wipe with a dry cloth.

1. Handcrafted Coconut Wood Spatula Set

This exquisite Coconut Wood Spatula Set from Thenga is a value-for-money set this holiday season. Made out of 100% natural coconut shells, these aesthetic Spatulas are handcrafted by artisans from Kerala. They will need to be hand-washed with soapy water after every use. Occasionally, you can rehydrate them using coconut oil. If possible, avoid using them on very hot food.

1. Copper Baking Mould Set

The Copper Baking Mould by Suite No. 8 is a thoughtfully curated cooking essential, especially during Christmas and New Year seasons. Made using high-quality glistening copper, the set has three copper moulds, each having a 2 x 4.5 inches dimension. To clean, use a mild detergent and wipe dry.

1. Christmas Tree Copper Baking Mould

The Christmas Tree Baking Mould by Suite No. 8 promises to complete your Christmas dessert menu most stylishly this year. This Christmas Tree shaped Mould is made using glazed copper with dimensions 3/4 x 4 inches. Handwash the Mould using mild detergent and wipe dry.

1. Brown & Blue Neem Wood Measuring Spoons Set

The Brown & Blue Neem Wood Measuring Spoons Set from Nurture India promises to be the ideal substitute for plastic measuring spoons this year, especially for preparing Christmas pudding and other holiday specials. These spoons are made using pure Neem Wood, which is proven to have natural medicinal properties and is handcrafted by highly skilled artisans from India. The set comprises four spoons with a marked measuring capacity of half and one teaspoon, as well as half and one tablespoon, respectively.

1. Candy Cane Copper Baking Mould

The Candy Cane Baking Mould by Suite No. 8 is sure to add fun and excitement this holiday season. Made using top-quality glossy copper, each of these Candy Cane shaped Moulds has a dimension of 2 x 4 inches and promises to create a buzz among children and adults alike for traditional Christmas dinner this year.

1. 2-inch Snowflake Copper Baking Mould

The 2-inch Snowflake shaped Copper Baking Mould from Suite No. 8 is made of high-quality copper and has dimensions of 2 x 2 inches. It promises to be the favourite for those who want to add smaller cakes as a dessert to their traditional Christmas dinner.

1. Mango Wood Cutting Board

The Mango Wood Cutting Board from Araana Home promises to be an extremely useful and environmentally responsible item in your kitchen cookware this Christmas season. Made of mango tree wood known for its sturdiness, it has an elegant and luxurious look well suited for festive occasions. The rope detailing on its handle aids in repurposing the product as a platter as and when needed. Clean regularly using gentle soap or wipe using a damp cloth dipped in warm water. Never leave it soaked in water.