5 gift ideas to give and help at Christmas

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ and show generosity toward others. Amidst a Christmas season that is often consumerist, charitable gifts with a Christian flavor become more than just objects: they are gestures of love, faith, and solidarity that transform lives.

Giving gifts with purpose allows us to teach values to our little ones. Each gift becomes an educational opportunity: a gift is not only received, but can also help others and contribute to good causes. Telling your child that the gift they hold in their hands has been used to support social projects, religious communities, or people in vulnerable situations is educational.

Giving gifts in this way not only strengthens Christian faith and values within the family, but also teaches us to experience Christmas through generosity and solidarity, reminding us that giving can be just as important as receiving. In this article, we present five ideas for giving gifts in this way at Christmas:

1. Decrux: customizable candles

Decrux offers prayer candles whose mission is to evangelize in homes and families through beauty. Each candle can be personalized with your own request, either digitally or by handwriting it. In addition, they are charitable, as they are handled by young people with intellectual disabilities and the profits from sales go to social projects. All of their candles are symbolically blessed free of charge by religious entities collaborating with the Decrux Association.

2. Contemplation: aid to the contemplative life

Contemplare Foundation was born out of the desire of a group of lay people to showcase and support the richness of contemplative life in Spain. Its goal is to help the more than 700 contemplative monasteries that remain in the country by offering a modern, online, and universal showcase for the products made by nuns and monks: from jams, Christmas pastries, nativity scenes, icons, and religious figures to liqueurs, cheeses, baby clothes, and handmade table linens.

Every purchase made at Contemplare not only covers the monasteries' financial needs—bills, maintenance, or social security—but also honors the life of prayer and work of its inhabitants. The foundation acts as a bridge between monasteries and society, making it easier for individuals and companies to include monastic products in Christmas baskets or corporate gifts, promoting the quality, artistry, and spirituality of these items.

With Contemplare, each gift serves a dual purpose: to support a monastery and to enable the recipient to learn about and become closer to the contemplative world, understanding the value of prayer, work, and austerity that sustain these communities. As they themselves summarize, “with this product, you are supporting a monastery,” transforming a gift into an act of faith and solidarity.

3. Have a God Time: Christian products that transform lives

Have a God Time is a project created in 2015 by Adriana and Miguel, a married couple who work in advertising, with the aim of helping people live their Christian lives on a daily basis. Through their online store and social media, they offer all kinds of products for the home, clothing, medals, handcrafted figurines, baby products, and even books. All their profits are reinvested in charitable projects «to alleviate material and spiritual poverty.».

Their proposal is not limited to selling products: each item is a tool for evangelization and reflection, designed so that those who receive it can draw closer to the mystery of faith and rediscover the true meaning of Christian celebrations, from Christmas to baptisms, first communions, and marriages.

In addition, Have a God Time collaborates with cloistered monasteries, offering products made by nuns, such as fabric crosses or figures of the Baby Jesus, so that each gift also contributes to supporting these communities that live in prayer for the world.

4. DeClausura: art and solidarity

The Foundation's mission Closing Ceremony is to raise awareness of the raison d'être, beauty, and importance of the contemplative life, as well as to help support monasteries and convents. Thus, in their online store, they sell handmade products «crafted in silence and prayer.».

DeClausura sells gifts made in monasteries and convents, such as religious figures, icons, rosaries, and handcrafted products. Purchasing these items directly supports the contemplative life and charitable projects of these communities, combining tradition, spirituality, and social action in one gift.

5. A book from Troas: culture and faith

Troa books are the perfect choice for those who enjoy spiritual and educational reading. From stories of saints to reflections on faith, Troa offers books that encourage reflection and personal growth. In addition, many editions support cultural and social projects linked to the Church, ensuring that your gift has an impact beyond the pages.