Current gifts for Christmas. Symbols of faith and Christmas. What do the French give for Christmas?

Christmas is one of the most significant and great holidays for Orthodox Christians. On this day, or rather on the night from January 6 to 7, Orthodox people not only attend a special festive liturgy and break their fast with kutya after a long and strict fast, but also congratulate each other on the holiday and give a variety of gifts.

I have to do this great holiday always on the same date, since it does not depend, for example, like Easter, on the calculation of time from the previous event of the Orthodox calendar.

The gifts that parishioners give each other can be very different, both practical and completely useless, but pleasant for the soul and heart. The same applies to gifts within the family, if it is your tradition to give gifts to relatives on January 7, 2018. For some, Christmas is a great holiday and gifts are accordingly impressive. For others, it's more likely religious date and they make do with small souvenir gifts. In fact, there is no and cannot be an exact indication of what gifts to give at Christmas, since a gift is, first of all, a sign of attention and a way to please your neighbor. However, there is universal tips by choosing a gift for this date.

On Christmas night they usually give:

1) sweets;

2) books;

3) icons;

4) calendars;

5) postcards with good wishes;

6) holiday symbols in the form of magnets and memorable cards, as well as much more.

It is worth noting that the holiday implies, first of all, the highlighting of a special event - the Nativity of Christ, and is not a reason for general fun, eating savory food, as well as giving gifts to all acquaintances.

That is why a gift given at Christmas should be:

1) modest;

2) inexpensive;

3) having symbolic value;

4) given from the heart.

Some Orthodox people also believe that the most important and nice gift on Holy holiday Nativity of Christ - Friendly family, peaceful life and health of relatives. This is where the tradition of arranging rich Christmas dinners came from, to which absolutely all relatives are invited, without exception.

And on this day, among believers, it is customary to make peace and ask for forgiveness from everyone whom a person has voluntarily or unwittingly upset. This is done so that with a pure soul and with a light heart visit God's temple and find peace in prayer there, and also feel all the grace sent down.

Thus, if the question of what to give for Christmas and how to choose the right future gift comes first to your mind, then you shouldn’t think too much. It is enough to give symbolic gift and a lot of warmth, care and love to your family and friends. They will probably appreciate such a gift very dearly and will be very happy about it.

In addition, according to the precepts of the Orthodox religion, material gifts do not always surpass spiritual gifts in their meaning; it is worth remembering this when choosing a gift for Christmas.

What to give for Christmas, Christmas gifts and ideas.

A holiday like Christmas is considered the purest, quietest, most peaceful event and has been celebrated for a long time. On this day, all the most wonderful traditions and pleasant memories are remembered. This holiday does not imply any noisy companies; it is better to celebrate it in a narrow family circle, dedicate the day to heartfelt conversations with your loved ones. What gifts are usually prepared on this day?

What do they give for Christmas?

On the eve of the New Year and Christmas, huge crowds of people are racking their brains about gifts. Here, even the most famous dreamers cannot always come up with something. You need to prepare a lot of gifts, rationally using your finances, and at the same time, not forgetting the uniqueness of the surprise for parents, friends, grandparents.

Usually on this holiday they give a lot of sweets, things that will later turn out to be useful, and also good options would be decorations for the Christmas tree in the form of angels, stars, hearts, Stuffed Toys, gifts for office and so on. You should not place special emphasis on gifts of a religious nature, since you can offend the feelings of believers and there may be non-believers among your loved ones, but at the same time, your family and friends will be pleased to receive a postcard with a picture of Jesus Christ. Such a small postcard will also meet the rules of good manners.

What to give to parents for Christmas?

There are many gift options for parents. It could be good book, wall calendar, cute toy, stylish bag, wallet, useful healing balm or jar homemade juice. A handmade gift will be very pleasant. One of these gifts can be pillows, blankets made from shreds with family photos. You need to find old unnecessary scraps, as well as photographs that will need to be transferred to fabric. You can make such patches in the salon. Just imagine how nice it will be for your mother or grandmother to cover herself with such a blanket on a cold winter evening.
You can also prepare a gift in the form of a disk with memories of the past. “Everything for the Home” can also help with this. You can also make this gift yourself using a computer, you just need to work a little. All that remains is to find photographs of your relatives, their favorite music, which will remind you of the most beautiful moments of the past, of moments of youth. And it was on Christmas evening in a quiet home environment It will be such a pleasure to watch this wonderful film. And never forget that the most important thing is not the gift, but the attention. It doesn't matter if there is a gift expensive accessory or a cheap trinket. Tell your family more kind words and give them warmth. This will be the most a good gift.

What to give children for Christmas?

Children always look forward to Christmas and, of course, gifts the most, and every adult has the most happy memories We learned about this holiday from childhood. Probably everyone remembers how New Year your parents sent you to bed early, and what a shame it was that you couldn’t sit with the adults for at least a little while longer. festive table. But there was so much joy and delight in the morning, when you wake up, the smell of a Christmas tree and tangerines, and under the Christmas beauty lies that long-awaited mysterious gift. How much sparkle there is in the eyes. When choosing a gift for your children, use your imagination; the child will not be very happy with things that are intended for daily use, for example, notebooks, pencil cases, briefcases. It is necessary that the gift is not something that you would later buy for the child anyway. It should be an item that can only be obtained on this day, then children will look forward to Christmas every year. It is important that for the child the surprise is welcome, mysterious and unusual. And when you give a gift, experience that delight and joy with your children.

What to give to friends for Christmas?

Well, you can definitely come up with a lot of surprises for your friends. No one will limit your choice, so finding a gift will be very easy. The main thing is to also include your imagination.

A gift in the form of a surprise egg will look very unusual, from which after a while a cute plant will appear, on the leaf of which there will be congratulations on the holiday. And in the greeting you can wish your friends a Merry Christmas.

As a rule, holidays are always celebrated so well that it is then very difficult to wake up for work and get into the rhythm of work. In this case, the most a useful gift there will be a flying alarm clock “Flying Clock”. This unusual alarm clock will fly around the room, beeping until the person gets up, finds the alarm clock and returns the device to its base. It won't take long to wake up!

A good option for smoking friends would be funny gift"Coughing ashtray." It will be in a good way remind friends that smoking is harmful to health, and if friends still don’t decide to quit smoking, then the thing will be even more useful. Well, in the end, this is actually a very interesting ashtray. As soon as a hand is raised over her to shake off the ashes, she immediately begins to cough.

If your friends are pet owners, then the best gift for such an owner there will be a gift for a pet. It could be a delicious “Sheba” for a fluffy cat or a sugar bone for a dog.

What to give a man for Christmas?

As the Gospel legend says, after the birth of Jesus Christ, the Magi, guided by the Christmas star, came from the East and presented their gifts to the baby: incense, myrrh, gold. It was these sages who started the tradition of giving gifts to family and friends at Christmas.

Since most often surprises are purely symbolic, for example, like the ancient substances myrrh and frankincense, then traditional gift For men, colognes and perfumes are considered. It is worth remembering that such surprises should be given to people you know well, otherwise you may not please the person with the scent. On the other hand, you can conduct a little research and find out the person’s preferences, or just ask about it directly.

There are so many gifts you can come up with for your loved one. This could be the same perfume (you certainly know the taste of your other half), or a cozy sweater knitted by you personally or a large beautiful scarf. But most an original gift of course it will be romantic festive evening. Intimate atmosphere, twilight from lit candles, good wine and your beloved woman - any man will appreciate such a gift.

What to give to someone who already has everything?

It is the gift that is always the problem for such people. Here it’s worth racking your brains, because if a person already has everything, then he will no longer be interested in any gift. On the other hand, it’s worth thinking about the fact that, first of all, the essence of the surprise itself is that it brings joy to people.

It is for such cases that there is special gifts, which are called “edible” gifts. These are exclusive, exotic dishes. There can be a lot of such gifts, since each nation has its own dish, which carries with it the history of this nation, traditions and customs.www.site

What do they give for Christmas? The Christmas holiday provides an opportunity to show love, attention and care for a loved one, fulfilling his deepest dream and making it come true as a gift. The best gift will be the one made with your own hands, filled with your energy and warmth. Such a gift best warms the soul, but if you don’t have the time and opportunity to make something, you can easily buy necessary thing and present it for the holiday. So, let's talk about what you can give to your loved ones for Christmas.

What do they give for Christmas - gifts for the holy holiday for a loved one

At Christmas they present the most various gifts, it all depends on your imagination and who they are intended for. Great importance has a design, sometimes it can be so original that it will be half the success of the gift itself. The most the best present there will be one that you make yourself. Most often this is:

sweets;
postcard;
knitted scarf, sweater, mittens or socks;
various souvenirs.

delicious and aromatic gingerbread;
from sugar mass and marzipan;
talisman amulets made from pieces of fabric.

A delicious Christmas-themed cake or pie is perfect as a gift. Ordinary sweets can be decorated in an original way and turned into a stunning, delicious bouquet. All gifts can be classified into several types.
1. Traditional:

Christmas characters;
sock for gifts made of various materials;
candles;
Santa Claus bags that can be filled with all kinds of goodies and sweets;
various little things with a Christmas theme (keychains, magnets, postcards, mugs, badges).

2. A variety of originally designed souvenirs with a Christmas theme:

knitted socks, hats, scarves, sweaters, mittens;
various carnival masks;
soap self made;
elite tea, coffee, set of spices.

3. Impressions:

a trip to Father Frost or Santa Claus;
skiing;
snowboarding;
visiting a skating rink, cinema or other entertainment venue.

Women and girls can be given jewelry, sweets, perfumes, personal care products, and original kitchen items. Children will always enjoy sweets and toys. The most important thing is that not only you like the gift, but also evoke positive emotions from the person to whom you are presenting it.

What to give your boyfriend for Christmas? What gift should you give your loved one?

There are a huge number of Christmas gift options for a guy or a man. So, you can buy a beautiful tie, original rug for a mouse or flash drive, cufflink, flask or thermos, lighter, elite alcohol, key chain, camera, smartphone, business card holder or document cover. Scarves, mittens, a warm sweater, mittens, cozy slippers. The choice depends on your imagination and preferences, as well as the hobbies and character of the recipient.

But the best gift would be one made or decorated with your own hands. A few ideas will help you make your choice.

One of the most original surprises there will be a souvenir with your photo for your beloved guy. It's best to choose a photo of you playing in the snow or walking in a snowy park. It will remind you of unforgettable moments of a magical winter in any season. The joint image can be used to decorate a T-shirt, mug or small pillow.
Men love to go to the bathhouse. Give your boyfriend a special set for her. You can select all the necessary components yourself, and then decorate everything in an original way in a Christmas theme. The set can include a broom, a hat, a rug, mittens, and a set with essential oils. If finances allow, buy a large and beautiful bath towel. This gift can be complemented with a warm and soft bathrobe. You can also surprise your boyfriend and order a bathhouse, organizing a romantic evening.
For lovers of reading, you can choose an interesting book, especially with a New Year or Christmas plot. A young man will certainly enjoy spending some time on a fabulous winter weekend with the fascinating plot of an interesting book.
Guys really appreciate everything that girls do with their own hands. If you do not consider yourself to be a good craftswoman, you can buy any beautiful knitted item(scarf, sweater, socks, mittens, hat) and decorate it in Christmas style. This way you will add originality to the surprise and fill it with your energy and warmth, which will warm you up on cold winter days.

Knowing what they do at Christmas, it will be much easier to choose a gift for your loved one. Any gift for a guy can be complemented with a homemade Christmas card with an original wish.

Is it possible to forget these faces? This wonderful mixture of surprise and petrified courage!

It seems that this is called a conflict of responsibilities: when you are “torn” between two fires - to grab the villain or give in to the sweets of criminal solidarity.

Moscow before Christmas, and I'm in Moscow. In the last hours before the train I remembered the gift to our elder. All in bags, in a coat unbuttoned in the heat - where to look? The gift shop is right there, and everything here in the capitals is expensive, but this little candlestick with a dragon will please the priest. Not enough money. Looking for a bank All closed. I ran all over the street. In bags. In fur coats. There are some “courses” in the alley. They gave it away as if under the counter. I rush back to the “gifts”, clutching the crumpled bills. The train is an hour away, and from here there are two transfers. Will I succeed?

The languid ladies look sleepily but condescendingly:

- you in gift packaging?

- Let's.

- You can do it in a box like this. Or will you take it with this case? We usually...

- It will.

– What kind of paper should I wrap it in? Suitable here...

- It's coming.

- You with a ribbon or...

- Turn. Just hurry up.

- By card?

- No, here everything is already, without change.

– Would you like a branded package?

- Sisters, please!

- But we haven’t yet...

Paid off. I'm running into the air. Apparently, the “gift aunts” forgot something after all: the electronic gates scream after them for a long time and piercingly, as if they were cutting them. They're screaming all over the street. And here’s the picture: a frantic priest is rushing towards the state border in an open coat, without a hat, hair escaping from under the scarf, crazy eyes, covered in bags and packages, running from a store that is indecently loud and nervously blaring its alarm system. And the faces of honest Muscovites: should they grab or cover up the fugitive priest?

Is it possible to forget these faces? Blessed be the Muscovites and guests of the capital!

Torture with gifts

I always have adventures with stores, even if you don’t go there. Normal person the store comes alive. Some comrades simply fall into a mystical ecstasy of commodities, forget about wounds, bruises and fractures, so you can’t keep up with them. The puny young ladies make their way forward, like undercover sumo wrestlers, emaciated but not losing their grip. The ladies in their bodies soar over the hall, spinning as if in a dance, revealing unexpected grace and the subtlest shades of feelings on their animated faces.

The marketplace is invigorating. The market is rejuvenating. Today, shopping is even prescribed as an expensive and fashionable medicine. And don't be sorry! If only he were a good person! Are you happy to shop? - well, fine! I will rejoice with you. With approval. But also with envy - because it’s not easy for me with stores. To whom should I tell: I’m ashamed to shop. I avoid it with all my might. It happens! I’ll tell the psychoanalyst about everything, but for now, here’s how: if you want something “harmful” - cola or chips - look around - are the people gone? - you will take in more air and “dive” into the depths of the den of goods. The worst thing is at the checkout: for some reason I always feel guilty before the saleswoman and those around me. I pass through the electronic gates with the conviction that they will certainly ring, and indeed they ring, villains! No, I don't steal. But sometimes you really need to run to the store, especially in pre-holiday days, choose gifts for friends, and this is not an easy task.

Giving gifts is a subtle art. I would say that you can tell a lot about a person by the way hemakes gifts. Because a gift is an expensive business, and the highest expenses are not money, but attention, thought, time, care - not so much for the gift, but for the loved one. A good gift, like expensive wine, requires time, love and patience. A real gift must be suffered. This is a science that is studied long and painstakingly, and happy is the one who finds a teacher.

A cat in peace

Scientists around the world, as a result of many years of testing, have convincingly proven that cats in their natural state are not able to climb down from trees. They climb in a way that is understandable and obvious, but nature did not tell them how to return to earth. Breath of relief! I always thought that our monastery cats were just desperate malingerers and capricious howlers. But they simply are not given it. They are disabled in some ways, and they cannot manage without the help of us, who are capable and capable.

Or make do? Scientists around the world, keenly peering into this global problem, unexpectedly noticed that the ability to climb down trees is not a skill innate to a cat, but acquired through observation of an older and experienced comrade. That is, those kittens whom their mother taught to climb down correctly do not scream like crazy, but busily, albeit with disgust on their faces, climb down the tree. Did I mention cats in vain?

We can't live without cats. The fact is that the art of giving gifts isskill, which is placed intentionally and consciously. Most often in childhood. If it is a skill, it means something artificial, even unnatural in its own way, like the whole culture, curbing, straightening a person, deliberately infecting him with the human.

Simply put, the art of giving gifts must be taught methodically and patiently, without expecting that the child will suddenly burst into altruism.

It is natural for a person to be kind and sympathetic, but this is the natural kindness that lies dormant in the very core of the human being, and if it is not awakened and then supported by serious and persistent effort, there is no other way for a person to “wake up.”

As a child, I didn’t pick up this skill, although there were many teachers. So we have to study now, in our old age. How did we give gifts in pioneer childhood? Is it Natasha's birthday? – You rip the first book off the shelf, drag a postcard from your mother’s desk, sign it – you’re done! It happened that they gave the same books at the same time. But in childhood this is forgivable. Or not?

One of my Smolensk friends once admitted that it hurts him very much if people give him money for his birthday. This means that a person does not think about it at all, does not suffer from it, does not suffer, does not “bear” the gift. After all, the gift must be difficult, real work must be invested in it - joyful and loving. Such work that even the birthday boy would have a hard time.

Once, for my birthday, friends hung my favorite tree with bundles of little trinkets wrapped in “elf” leaves. For half an hour, patiently with numb hands, occasionally laughing, I took off this wealth and thought: how much time did they spend on this miracle tree? And how little I know about the depth of their feelings!

Accidental skull

I suffered for several weeks choosing a gift for a friend. It's not the same! All wrong! And then, quite by accident, a skull-piggy bank! Real luck! Anyone will envy! And it fits so well on your hand - if you want to recite Shakespeare, if you want to read Pushkin with a tragic face. And in general, such a skull is not lying around on the road and will always come in handy:

A subject dear to philosophers,
Nice and useful item
To the eyes and heart, there is no word (Pushkin).

Wrapped in beautiful paper, tied with ribbons. I hid for a week, holding back with all my strength. And so - he handed it over in the radiance of his own eyes! Well, isn't it beauty?

I come back a day later: there is no skull. And why hide it? Through delicate interrogation, I found out that my friend has been afraid of the dead since childhood, he simply cannot stand them. And I knew this, but for some reason I completely forgot. And it was so embarrassing. It turns out that I chose the gift for myself, not him. This means that I was not attentive enough to my friend, I did not accept him with the utmost sympathy, I did not notice what really makes him happy, what worries him, what he dreams about. There is still so much to learn! Difficult science - gift science.

Giving gifts is a very difficult spiritual exercise. The first sign of success in this spiritual endeavor: when, entering a store or market, you instinctively, unconsciously, the first thing you think about is not what will suit you, but what will please your loved one. The next step: when the gift you give to a friend pleases you no less than him, it makes you happyin his hands.

Present - signattention and respect. Present -sign, that is, something more than the tangible thing itself, not the thing itself, but what it means, what it points to. What is significant must be signified, symbolically secured and sealed. How to designate love, friendship, care, respect - these intangible, but very important points, without which life is not life?

A gift is a pointer, and as a pointer it should be clear, catchy, it shouldto mean with all my might.

That's how much I love you!

This is how I see you!

That's how infinitely dear you are to me!

That's how seriously I take your dream!

We ask the baby: “Show me how much you love mommy,” and the little bubble clumsily hugs mommy and gives a ringing “busya.” Will these hugs warm you up, does this kiss have any real benefit? If you measure love and friendship by algebra, then you will lose the very subject of study. But the little one puffs away, coloring a card for mommy, or, at mom’s prompting, waking up unusually early, cleans dad’s shoes—that’s his little present for daddy's birthday, and this tiny care reveals so much to the baby himself about his love for his father, about his tenderness for his mother.

Giving gifts is a spiritual exercise, an indicator of spiritual maturity.

Accepting gifts is a spiritual exercise and the subtlest indicator of spiritual age.

Should you give something that is necessary or useful? What if a person has everything and nothing can surprise him, if he is too rich and doesn’t want anything anymore? The giver needs a gift just as much as the recipient needs it. A real gift falls outside the logic of usefulness. A gift is rather a symbolic, spiritual gesture; it is more of a sign, a word, a cry of delight that cannot be restrained, because it is required by the abundance of the heart - “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

The real reason for the gift, or so: the reason for the real gift - excess of heart . If it exists, then it needs to be helped to turn into an object or a word or an action.

You can't hold your heart. The shackled heart dries up.

Gift for Beloved

Christian ontology, like the theology of creation and redemption, is nothing more than the doctrine of the circulation of gifts in nature. Our entire liturgy speaks about this, and how much truth and consolation is in the exclamation “Thine from Thine is offered to Thee for all and for all”! Our life is a cycle of gifts, and two important skills determine a person’s maturity - the ability to give and the art of receiving gifts. If you want to know how far you have come in the Christian faith, take a careful and honest look at how you give gifts and, no less important, how you know how to accept them and enjoy the gifts.

This cycle of gifts was launched by God's Love. Our life is a gift, or rather, a whole mountain of gifts and gifts that we not only try on ourselves, but also give to others - friends, loved ones, children, God. We love God, right? Are we trying? And in what else is the measure of love manifested, if not in the art of giving?

At Christmas everyone is waiting for their gift. And in the Church at Christmas Vespers they sing the same stichera that sometimes made our old regent cry: “What shall we bring to You, Christ”? Everyone has a gift on this day - kids, parents, priests. In proportion to love there is also a gift. And so the author of the ancient stichera thought about what we will give to God for Christmas?

What will I give to God on His birthday?

Why does He need my gift? He has everything. But: “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” and a gift is born from an abundance of love and friendship.

Christ called us His friends, He infected us with His love, He Himself is Love. He exists, which means our love for Him and friendship is real, not pretend. Making a gift to God is necessary, I really need it. But, oddly enough, it is very important for Him.

One day I heard a story about Mother Teresa. She was invited to visit New York. We were greeted with honors, put into a luxury car and taken to a meeting with the mayor himself. On the way, the local nun told mother latest rumors about a new terrible disease, so terrible and deadly that even the police, no matter how brave they are, are afraid. Two villains were recently captured, and they have this very disease - they are dying right before our eyes. The guards push their lunch into their cell with a stick - everyone is so afraid to approach them, and the poor things are lying there, they can’t even reach the food, and they’ll die of hunger. There is such panic here, everyone is afraid of getting infected. Terrible disease! And they called it so terribly – AIDS.

But Mother Teresa is a man of action. Without lamentations and indignations, she immediately, at a meeting with the mayor, begs for the right to care for sick criminals. She buys an apartment in New York, the government equips it to prison standards, prisoners are transported there, and Mother Teresa herself cares for them until their death.

When one of the journalists asked what prompted her to do such a reckless act, Mother Teresa answered:

– I’m used to doing things to my Beloved expensive gifts.

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Actions are performed from an excess of love.

Those who love God also have their own skill, cultivated over years of love and friendship - the habit of giving to the Beloved, Whom they see in poor children, in lonely old people, in sick prisoners.

Their love is unstoppable. It’s all for Him, and He is the One who sincerely and seriously rejoices at every gift.

What will I bring to Christ on His birthday? What will I bring to Him on any other day of my life? Did Mother Teresa look at the calendar and give gifts for anniversaries? She took every opportunity to let her love unfold, without fear of being ridiculed and rejected.

If love is genuine, how can you pacify it?

If you truly love, how can you resist giving a gift?

It's like we went to long journey, we visit countries and islands, but every day, remembering our friend, we send him postcards from exotic places. We are not elders or ascetics. Maybe not each of us is capable of a great deed, but just a little, to the extent of our undeveloped love, send to God our childishly homemade and awkward postcards from unexpected and awkward good deeds...

Yes, who will stop us?

In our country it began not so long ago, and therefore the “problem of gifts” often arises: what is it to give so that it is appropriate, pleasant, and useful?

Before 1917, there were well-established Christmas traditions, and a certain “hierarchy” of gifts - for example, a rich nobleman or merchant could give his wife a fur coat or jewelry, but an expensive present for acquaintances or friends was considered inappropriate. Now traditions are being revived and formed again, but it takes time, but in the meantime we are learning to give gifts, using the experience of our ancestors, Western neighbors, and what the modern market offers.

Beautiful, healthy and tasty

Besides Christmas flowers, holiday wreaths and coniferous Christmas trees in pots, in Lately have become fashionable, sweets are always appropriate as gifts for Christmas, but it is recommended to give them in original packaging, in the form of carved boxes, caskets, wicker baskets and boxes. It is believed that in Europe, giving sweets for Christmas (then they were usually given to children) began in the 15th century. More often it was baked goods: muffins with cinnamon and ginger, star cookies, bread with nuts and fruits.

Later, Christmas gifts made from chocolate appeared, and now the production of Christmas sweets is turning into a whole industry.

However, a Christmas cake made with your own hands, with warmth and love, can hardly be replaced by the most beautiful and colorful store-bought “goodies”. Suitable shape– a star or a Christmas tree - it can be easily obtained from ordinary cakes using a stencil, but it is also not difficult to buy such a baking form now. Decorating any pie is also not a problem: it’s great if you bake Star of Bethlehem with jam and fruit, decorate with cinnamon and glaze, and for a “Christmas tree” pie, bright marmalades, round chocolates like M&M’s, confectionery sprinkles are suitable - use your imagination with joy!

For Christmas lovers, you can also give a set of baking tins with a selection of holiday recipes, and such a gift is suitable for all adults, and not only women, but also men.

In Russia, the range of gift sets for Christmas is still small - not like its foreign neighbors. Thus, in France, packaging for Christmas products is created the best designers and artists - containers and labels are designed by hand, and the middle class also has plenty to choose from. But we have great occasion to show your imagination, and this is great: you can create beautiful custom packaging or labels for your product at home - a computer can help, or you can give free rein to “applied creativity”.

Since for many, Christmas means the end of a long fast, a good gift would be a set of store-bought products, high-quality and tasty, placed in an elegant basket: cookies, sweets, fruits, elite cheese, caviar, etc. You can also add homemade preparations here. The best family gift for Christmas!

Souvenirs, personal items and gifts for the home

What else can you give for such an important and family celebration Christmas?

There are now plenty of Christmas-themed souvenirs – for example, in special stores. These are gift sets for Christmas - beautifully made pens, notepads, magnetic bookmarks, sets of magnets and magnetic photo frames with Christmas trees, snowflakes, balls, angels, stars and the words “Merry Christmas!” But figurines of angels have long been considered the “most Christmas” gift: people believe that such a gift for Christmas - a Guardian Angel - will protect and protect the recipient throughout the next year.

Other, less “canonical”, but also homemade and “soulful” gifts for Christmas:

Warm and soft mittens, scarves, socks, hats, items of clothing made of natural wool and fur will warm you up in the cold Russian winter: grateful memories will last for a long time.
Elite coffee and tea sets, aromatic herbs and spices will delight any housewife as a Christmas gift. It’s good to give a convenient strainer with a stand for tea, a small coffee maker for 1-2 cups for coffee, and an elegant grinder for spices.
Sets of decorative plates, cups and other utensils will also be useful in any kitchen, and will be just right for a holiday. Surely everyone will like the Christmas tea set, in red and green design, decorated voluminous apples and holly branches, with a candy bowl in the shape of the Star of Bethlehem.

As a Christmas gift, you can find both bed and table linens with the same design; If you don’t find one, just give something beautiful and high quality, in suitable colors.
Christmas balls with winter landscapes and scenes from the Bible will also be a wonderful gift for Christmas and will delight adults and children.
Soap from natural ingredients, handmade, has long been included in the category of exclusive Christmas gifts. The aromas of pine and citrus are welcome, but in general you can choose any essential oils - as long as you like them. Those who remember what the wise men brought to the baby Jesus will understand why: among the valuable gifts were gold and aromatic resins. Gold jewelry is also an excellent choice, but, as already said, only those closest to you can give expensive gifts, and not everyone can afford it. So let’s “pay tribute” to fragrances: you can give sets essential oils, perfumes, cosmetics, but you need to know the tastes of the recipient.

Christmas fire symbols

You can give special candles for Christmas. It’s worth saying a little separately about candles – a symbol of Light. Oriental candles, in the form of figures Chinese calendar, will not be suitable even if the person is not a deeply religious person. There are enough candles being produced now - different forms, sizes and colors, elegantly decorated and very modest. On Christmas, you must definitely light at least one candle, or better yet, more, so that the Virgin Mary, seeing this, will bless your home and family.

It's good when the design of a candle given for Christmas matches inner world and the character of the recipient. Thus, it is believed that candles with scents of flowers and herbs are suitable for a young couple; short and fat – sociable and good men; curved - for creative people; businessmen are encouraged to give candles with candlesticks that are massive and reliable. The color of candles is interpreted in different ways, but black, which in many cultures is associated with darkness and fear, is better not to choose in any case: the choice is rich without it.

An aroma lamp with a set of oils or a beautiful lamp will also go “in the theme” of fire, as will an electric fireplace, but the latter should only be given to close friends and relatives for Christmas.

What to give children for Christmas

Well, of course, where would we be without gifts for children... It is for them that Christmas is fabulous holiday, and children's Christmas gifts should be special.

Most children enjoy sweets, and they get plenty of them at Christmas. But almost all children, without exception, will be pleased to receive as a gift this holiday what they have long dreamed of.

For example, boys should not be given weapons for Christmas (with the exception of water pistols and paintball guns), but if the boy is interested in war games, you can give a fabulous set: Santa Claus's team (Father Frost's sleigh) with an army magical helpers(elves or snowmen), protecting gifts from intruders and “dark characters” - he will play with friends with pleasure.

Almost all boys are suitable for different construction sets and cars, and girls are suitable for doll sets, with houses, furniture, wardrobe, dishes, etc. But giving gifts only “based on gender” is wrong.

The main thing is to make a child’s dream come true, even if it seems a little unusual to adults: for example, a girl dreams of getting a set of hand tools with screwdrivers, wire cutters, pliers and hammers, and a boy dreams of getting a needlework set with floss threads.

You can give kids any desired toys, including soft, fluffy pets, like sheep and calves - “witnesses” of Christ’s Nativity.