If you are at all like me, you often wait until the last minute to purchase Christmas gifts. I do this for three reasons:

During the Nativity Fast our family tries to keep the focus on prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and anticipating the Nativity. So, we attempt not to celebrate Christmas before Christmas.
I am often unorganized and don’t get around to thinking about what gifts I’d like to buy until a week before Christmas. (Please tell me I’m not the only one!)
Because I have 3 young children, work full-time, and am married to a man deep in the dissertation-writing stage of his doctorate, it is just plain tough to find time to do anything!

If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t panic! I have put together a list of amazing gifts that will not only please everyone on your list, but they will also help build your faith and support Orthodox Christians at the same time. So, here it is……..

The Orthodox Mama’s Guide to The Best Gifts for Orthodox Christians

Adult Books

Close to Home by Molly Sabourin

I cried, laughed, and said, “That is so me!” at least a dozen times while I was reading this book. Molly Sabourin shares her family’s journey to Orthodoxy, her struggles as a wife and mother, and the depth of our faith in a fantastically engaging book.

Tea and Crumples by Summer Kinard

I’ve often been skeptical of Christian fiction, but Kinard’s writing caused me to put my skepticism behind me and just enjoy her wonderful story. I give a full review of the book here.

The Insight: First Book of Athira by Owen Gabriel Danielson

I love the fantasy genre, so when I heard that Owen Gabriel Danielson had written a fantasy with Orthodox themes, I was really excited! If you have any fantasy lovers, do them a favor and give them The Insight for Christmas. You can read my full review here.

A Little Daily Wisdom from the Early Church edited by Bernard Bangley

If you long for a bit of quiet meditation in your day, this daily devotion is for you. Filled with writings from the desert fathers and mothers, A Little Daily Wisdom will quickly become a key part of your day.

Children’s Books

H is for Holy by Nika Boyd

My absolute new favorite Orthodox children’s book this year. If you read a lot of alphabet books in your house (like we do!), you’ll want to add this beautiful Orthodox one to your shelves. I review it here.

Saint George and the Dragon by Jim Forest

Gorgeous illustrations combine with magical storytelling to make this memorable book. My kids ask for this one over and over!

The Story of Mary, the Mother of God by Dorie Papademetriou

As a fairly recent convert, I did not grow up learning very much about the Theotokos. I knew even less about Sts. Joachim and Anna. This book helped me learn about Sts. Joachim and Anna and their struggle to conceive, the blessing of a child, and their decision to give Mary to God in the temple. Though it is written to appeal to children, The Story of Mary will edify adults as well!

Catherine’s Pascha by Charlotte Riggle

Catherine’s Pascha is a USA Best Books Award Finalist–an honor rarely bestowed upon an Orthodox book. This beautiful book walks a child through Pascha–from baking on Saturday to the beautiful service and breaking the fast with church family.

Other Items

St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Peg Doll

This hand carved and hand painted peg doll is just one of the beautiful dolls available from the EdmundAndAmbrose shop on Etsy. (Plus they are a bargain at $9 a piece!)

Handmade Box

This beautifully carved, painted, and lacquered box would be a wonderful way to hold prayer bracelets, candles, and other items for your icon corner. By the MitzisAttic Etsy shop.

Akathist of Thanksgiving CD

It can be very nice to surround yourself with Orthodox music, and there are few better than this Akathist of Thanksgiving CD. I recently wrote a post about the Akathist of Thanksgiving and was delighted to find this audio version.