Christmas · for godmothers
Christmas gift from godmother: ideas for your godchild
Looking for a little something for your godchild this year, something that won’t just end up unused? The loveliest Christmas gift from a godmother isn’t the most expensive toy. It’s something your godchild will remember: an ornament with their name, a day just for the two of you, a song where Santa sings their name in Greek. Here are 10 ideas, wishes for the card, and a free card.
The 10 ideas
At a glance
Tap an idea to jump straight to it.
- 1Book with a dedication
- 2Ornament with their name
- 3A karavaki for their room
- 4Triangle for the kalanta
- 5A song from Santa
- 6Christmas Eve box
- 7Melomakarona together
- 8A day for the two of you
- 9A family board game
- 10Money box with their name
- ✦Wishes for the card
- ✦A free card with their name
A Greek Christmas
When do the gifts come?
In Greece, Santa is Agios Vasilis (Saint Basil), and he traditionally brings the presents on New Year’s Day, his feast day. Today many families open presents at Christmas too. If your godchild is growing up abroad, these little Greek moments are a gift in themselves:
- the kalanta (carols children sing door to door on Christmas Eve)
- the karavaki (a little lit-up Christmas boat)
- melomakarona (honey and walnut cookies)
- a letter to Agios Vasilis
- the vasilopita (New Year’s cake with a lucky coin)
Ask the parents when presents are opened in their home, so yours arrives on time.
Before you choose
What should I get my godchild for Christmas?
The most common Christmas gifts from a godmother are a toy, clothes or a book. If you want something they’ll remember, add something personal: their name, a dedication, or time with you.
1How old are they?
Up to 3, the wrapping paper is more exciting than the gift. From 4 to 8, they believe in Santa with all their heart. After 10, they want to feel grown up.
2What do they already have?
Clothes? Children shoot up so fast that clothes often go unworn. Ask their mum what they need, even if she says “don’t get anything”.
3What will they remember?
A toy gets played with for a few weeks. Something only you know about them, their pet name or a moment you shared, stays with them for years.
The ideas
10 Christmas gifts from their nona
- 1Any age
A Christmas book with a dedication
Choose a book for their age and write a few words and the date on the first page. Do it every year, and they’ll grow up with a whole library from you.
- 2Every year
An ornament with their name and the year
A wooden or ceramic ornament with their name and the year. A new one every Christmas, and one day they’ll decorate their own tree with your ornaments.
- 3Greek tradition
A little Christmas boat for their room
Long before the tree, Greek islanders decorated a boat (karavaki) for Christmas. A small wooden boat with fairy lights, to decorate every year with their parents and learn where it comes from.
- 4Ages 4–10
A triangle and a little purse for the kalanta
On Christmas Eve morning Greek children sing the kalanta door to door, playing a little metal triangle, and get coins in return. Give them their own triangle and a purse for the coins a few days early. Abroad, they can sing for the family.
- 5With their name
A song where Santa sings their name
A Christmas song in Greek, with their name in the chorus. They hear it on Christmas morning and will ask to hear it again and again, even if they are growing up far from Greece.
Hear an example ↓ - 6For little ones
A Christmas Eve box
New pyjamas, hot chocolate, a Christmas film and a bedtime book, all in a box with their name on it. They open it on Christmas Eve, and the waiting gets a little sweeter.
- 7Time together
An afternoon baking melomakarona
A child-size apron and an afternoon in your kitchen. You knead, dip the cookies in syrup and eat half of them. Take a photo: next year you’ll both remember.
- 8Any age
A day just for the two of you
A Christmas play, ice skating or a walk through the lit-up streets, and a hot chocolate after. Put a “voucher” in their card and choose the day together.
- 9Ages 5+
A board game for the whole family
A game that comes out of the cupboard every time you get together. Write “from your nona” and the year inside the box, and play the first round together.
- 10For older kids
A money box with their name
A money box with their name and the first coin inside, from you. And one more every Christmas. Older children love saving up for something of their own.
Idea #5 up close
Santa doesn’t just say their name. He sings it.
A Christmas song in Greek with your godchild’s name in the chorus, and a magical video that opens and closes with their photo.
- 1Listen to the example here first.
- 2Send me your godchild’s name and a photo of them.
- 3In 24 hours the song and the video are on your phone, ready for Christmas morning.
Introductory price for the first 10 families only: song + video €29 instead of €49. To have it in time for Christmas, order by 20 December.
I make the songs with the help of artificial intelligence, and I work on the lyrics until they are exactly right.
Something to keep
Make them a Christmas card
Type their name and yours, and the card appears in front of you. Download it to print and put on the present, or send it to their parents on WhatsApp. Make one for your godchild, or for a friend.
Make the cardThe card maker is on the home page. I only ask for an email so you can download it.
What to write in the card
Christmas wishes for a godchild from their nona
Short wishes for the gift tag. Put their name where it says [name], and add something only you know: their pet name or a moment you shared. If you’re the godfather, sign “your godfather”. Want to write in Greek? The Greek version of this page has the same wishes in Greek.
Is your godchild a Christos (Χρήστος), who celebrates his name day at Christmas? Add «Χρόνια πολλά, να χαίρεσαι τ’ όνομά σου!» (“Many happy returns, enjoy your name day!”).
Save it
Still looking for a gift? Save this page on Pinterest so it’s easy to find when you go shopping.
Questions
Godmother questions
Does a Greek godmother give her godchild a Christmas present?
It isn’t an obligation, but in many Greek families the godmother or godfather (nona or nonos) gives the godchild a present at the holidays, usually at Christmas or on New Year’s Day. Many do it every year until the child grows up.
How much does a godmother usually spend on a Christmas gift?
There is no rule. It depends on the child’s age, the family and what you can afford. A small gift with their name, or a little time with you, often stays in their memory longer than an expensive toy.
Christmas or New Year: when are presents given in Greece?
Traditionally in Greece, Agios Vasilis (Saint Basil, the Greek Santa) brings the presents on New Year’s Day, his feast day. Today many families open presents at Christmas too. Ask the parents what they do at home.
Until what age does a godmother give gifts?
There is no limit. Many godmothers give gifts until their godchild comes of age, and some forever. For older children, an experience together or something for their plans often brings more joy than an object.
What should I write in my godchild’s Christmas card?
Something short and warm: their name, a wish, and “your nona” or “your godmother”. You’ll find six ready-made wishes above, for little ones and for older kids.
What can a godfather give for Christmas?
Every idea here works for a godfather too. The custom is the same for the nona and the nonos: a present at the holidays and a little time together.
What can I send a godchild who lives in another country?
Something that travels by phone: a card with their name on WhatsApp, or a song in Greek with their name in it. Children growing up abroad love hearing their family’s language made just for them.
From Maggie: Most children forget their toys by February. One thing they never get tired of: hearing their own name. Hear what I mean ↑