Christmas gifts with a taste of Greece… I’m sure the title might bring you yummy Greek foods to mind. Like the most amazing Greek Christmas cookies, kourabiedes or melomakarona. Or maybe you are thinking of delicious pies that your grandma makes. However, the truth is that it might be a bit tricky to try sending melomakarona or grandma pies across the Atlantic or even Europe to Greek family who live abroad.
But what could you send to people and especially children of Greek background to get them a bit more excited about their Greek heritage over the Christmas? Melomakarona would definitely do it, but unfortunately they do not do well with trips. We have some great and widely tested ideas that will definitely get children excited about Greek culture.
A book on Greek Mythology is always a safe choice. Children of all ages and even adults love to learn about the intricate stories of the Olympian Gods, the hardships and triumphs of heroes like Hercules and tales such as the story of the Titans, the Minotaur, and Medusa.
Another amazing and very Greek gift is a bouzouki. The Greek bouzouki is a plucked musical instrument of the lute family, called the thabouras. Thabouras derives from ancient Greek times. Its evolution, bouzouki, is one of the most popular musical instruments in Greece. It sounds like a great gift for a musically inclined child who can take its first steps learning and experimenting with this great instrument, as well as finding out more about Greek culture and the history of Greek music.
If you are looking for something more discreet or symbolic, a mataki is such a lovely gift. This might be called the evil eye in English but its concept is exactly the opposite. Greeks basically believe that any person could give you at any time the “evil eye.” This can be a compliment or even a thought that comes from envy or jealousy. Imagine it like a wave of negative energy that might come your way. So, evil eye jewelry is meant to protect you from this negative energy. Even if you don’t believe in this kind of thing, evil eyes make for beautiful necklaces, bracelets, broaches and are very common and very thoughtful gifts in Greek culture.
Sportswear from Greek teams or the Greek national team is another safe idea for children. Children usually love sports and love the feeling of belonging in a community of supporters. So whether you are hoping to create a little PAO, AEK, PAOK, OSFP etc supporter or you go for the popular choice of a Giannis Greek national team jersey, you might be contributing in getting a child excited for sports!
And a personal favorite. Greek-themed playmobil. Who doesn’t love playmobil? Did you know that there is a whole series with Greek-themed playmobil? With a simple google search you will be able to find gifts playmobil Greek Gods or even heroes of the Greek War for Independence like Kolokotronis. We honestly cannot think of a better way to introduce children to Greek history and culture!
Hopefully you will find some of these ideas useful and get a kid excited for Greece over some interesting Christmas gifts. And if not, as we say in Greek, η σκέψη μετράει. It’s the thought that counts!
