Looking a gift horse in the mouth may turn a party into an etiquette lesson, whereas looking a gift basilisk in the eyes will turn the birthday girl to stone. Give curse-free gifts and goods with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of books, music, clothing, and gifts from Ukrainian Book Store. This Groupon is valid both in-store and online. Shipping is not included.

Ukrainian Book Store has outfitted generations of Cyrillic connoisseurs with a plenitude of culture-celebrating literature, goods, and gifts since it opened its doors in 1914. The frigid drink guardians forged in the Babushka ice tray ($9.95) defend libations from heat-infusing hobgoblins, and insipid walls and defenseless wallflowers morph into party-ready room accessories when adorned with a vibrant Strolling Cat art print($40) crafted by local artist Iryna Karpenko. The authoritative Baba’s Cook Book ($16.95) guides fare makers through traditional dishes with grandmotherly grace and keeps chefs primed for defeating fellow beetsmiths in impromptu borscht-offs. Swathe T-shaped torsos in the Tryzub T-shirt, a similarly shaped top decorated with Ukraine’s national coat of arms ($24 for adult sizes; $20 for youth) that shields shoulders from piggy-backing hitchhikers. Feet with a hankering for rhythmic rug cutting delight in Ukrainian Book Store’s vast assortment of contemporary and traditional tunes, including Wild Energy, the latest offering from Ukraine’s reigning pop star, Ruslana ($26.98).