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The Nativity—or St. Philip’s—Fast begins on November 15 NS/28 OS every year. There are so many beautiful traditions in the Church and activities we can add to make the time edifying for our families. The feast days of some beloved saints are celebrated during the fast, which adds wonderful opportunities to make it extra special. This is also a great time to reach out to others who may not have loved ones around with whom to celebrate. Below are some ideas to add richness to your Nativity season, and our curated Pinterest boards also include books, articles, activities, and images on these topics.

Traditions & Saints

St. Nicholas of Myra (December 6/19)

• View our list of resources here.

Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (November 21/December 4)

• View our list of resources here.

Thanksgiving

• We Give Thanks to Thee: Observing an Orthodox Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving Gratitude Printables from Not Consumed
• Thankfulness Placemat Printables from Parousia Press (subscribe to our newlsetter for access to this and lots of other great printables)
• The Akathist Hymn “Glory to God for All Things”
• Incorporating “Glory to God for All Things” into Your Thanksgiving from Orthodoxy for Kids

St. Lucia (December 13/26)

• View our list of resources here.

St. Herman of Alaska (December 13/26)

• Festal Learning Basket from Charming the Birds from the Trees
• St. Herman Pinterest Board
• St. Herman resources from the OCA
• “Champions of Faith” lesson from the OCA
• More St. Herman resources available here.

Other Saints

• St. Catherine: “Defenders of the Faith” from the OCA
• St. Catherine: “Saints Commemorated in the Litiya Prayers” activity book from the OCA
• St. Catherine: The Broken Wheel book by Gabriel Wilson
• St. Catherine: From Studying Byzantine Icons on Under the Grapevine (audio)
• St. Barbara: “Saints Commemorated in the Litiya Prayers” activity book from the OCA
• St. Barbara: “Saints in Times of Trouble” activity book from the OCA
• St. Barbara: Burbara porridge recipe
• St. Spyridon Pinterest board

Products

• Christmas Cards from Ancient Faith
• My Beautiful Advent from Holistic Christian Life
• Welcoming the Christ Child by Elissa Bjeletich
• Christmas Shop from Draw Near Designs
• 40-Day Advent Activity Cards from Parousia Press
• Advent Planner New Calendar | Old Calendar from Parousia Press
• 40-Day Advent Candle from Parousia Press
• 40 Day Orthodox Advent Calendar from Draw Near Designs
• Theotokos and Christ Snuggly Saints Doll from Draw Near Designs
• Advent Study for Adults from Orthodox Mom
• My Journey to Bethlehem Advent Study for Children from Orthodox Mom
• Hallelujah! Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel's Messiah by Cindy Rollins
• Orthodox Wooden Jesse Tree Ornaments from Etsy
• A Journal of Thanksgiving: Record Three Years of Gratitude in a Sentence a Day by Nicole M. Roccas

Activities

• Advent Home Study from St. George Cathedral
• Behold a Great Light Advent Devotional from Ancient Faith
• Holly & Ivy Orthodox Advent Planner & Devotional from Parousia Press
• Holly & Ivy 40-Day Advent Candle from Parousia Press
• The Nativity Season study from the OCA
• The Nativity Fast (a wonderful, brief overview) from Holy Cross Orthodox Church
• Potholes on the Way to Bethlehem—Navigating the Stress of the Nativity Season: A Small Group Guide from the GOA Center for Family Care
• Our Journey to the Nativity of Christ printable calendar from Illumination Learning
• Nativity Resources for Orthodox Christian Families from the Antiochian Archdiocese
• Advent Icon Activity
• The Jesse Tree daily readings and ornaments
• A Different Jesse Tree from Orthodox Pebbles
• Have a family jolabokaflod (“Christmas book flood”) from Read Aloud Revival
• Nativity Fast ideas from Many Mercies
• Orthodox Kids Journal Project from Orthodox Education
• Royal Hours of Nativity coloring page from Many Mercies
• Ornament Exchange: Every year Sylvia Leontaritis hosts a children's ornament exchange for her Patreon Community
• November Saints resources from Orthodox Pebbles
• Advent readings from the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America
• These fasting resources from Orthodox Pebbles can help even young children be interested in and engaged with the fast.
• Wrap 25-40 Christmas-themed books, and read one each day of Advent or the month of December (see below).

Books

• Behold a Great Light: Daily Devotional for the Nativity Fast Through Theophany by Fr. Stephen deYoung
• Christmas Coloring in Icons from Potamitis Publishing
• The Story of Christmas by Pamela Dalton
• The Miracle of St. Nicholas by Gloria Whelan
• St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins by Jim Forest
• Lucia, Saint of Light by Katherine Bolger Hyde
• The Twelve Days of Christmas by Laurel Long
• Hark! A Christmas Sampler by Jane Yolen and Tomie dePaola
• The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola (video)
• The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski

Family Movies

• The Bishop’s Wife
• The Bells of Saint Mary’s (1945)
• White Christmas
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Christmas in Connecticut
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• Home Alone
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Almsgiving

• Lenten Almsgiving: A Family Project from Illumination Learning
• Orthodox Stewardship: Responding to God’s Gifts from the OCA
• Ask your priest for specific needs in your parish community
• Collect blankets and coats for those in need
• Offer to take people to liturgy who may not have transportation
• Volunteer with FOCUS or IOCC
• Sign up with Be My Eyes, an app where you can offer live assistance to the vision-impaired 
• Invite people who will be alone to your family’s Nativity celebration
• Collect coins as a family throughout the fast as a donation at Nativity Liturgy or to a special organization (like FOCUS, IOCC, OCPM, Neighborhood Resilience Project, Thelma’s Kitchen, the Wichita Treehouse, or the Mary and Martha Maternity House in Chicago)
• Build a Little Free Pantry to install outside your home or church, or collect food for your local food bank
• Create a special intercession list for those who need your prayers during this time
• Visit a local nursing home to bring Christmas cheer
• Donate books or an old tablet, or adopt a senior (send cards on holidays and small gifts) via Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents
• Volunteer to correspond with prisoners via the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry or send Christmas cards to the incarcerated
• Volunteer to hold babies in the NICU
• Clean out your closet and donate gently used clothing (especially for women and children)
• Create “blessing bags” of toiletries and snacks to keep in your car and give when an opportunity arises
• Encourage children to sit with a lonely child at lunch or invite them to play at recess

Fasting

Check out our Fasting Resources page to help plan your meals for the Nativity Fast! If you find fasting difficult with a family, read “Living Our Faith: ‘It's Too Hard for My Kids’” from Illumination Learning for encouragement.

It is a custom in the Slavic churches to break the strict fast on Christmas Eve with a fasting Holy Supper in preparation for Nativity.

Click here for Nativity & the Twelve Days of Christmas resources.

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