13th Annual Orthodox Kid's Ornament Exchange

Guess what time it is? Ornament Exchange time! Yaaay! Forgive me for being a little late this year, I've been super busy getting my new book STEALING FREEDOM ready for my editor! But it's been sent in and for the next month, I am a free woman and happily at your service once again!

Every Christmas for the past thirteen years, here on OrthodoxMom.com, I’ve hosted an ornament exchange for Orthodox kids. Parents and children gather around their tables and create the most beautiful Nativity themed ornaments to swap between our families.

Families are separated into groups, usually 10-12 per group, and we all make one ornament for each family and ship them off along with other little snacks, stickers, and goodies. The kids love checking the mail to see what treasures arrive each day!

We have a special filled with the precious ornaments we’ve received over the years.  The boys love taking them out and reminiscing on the times they arrived and what goodies accompanied them, before hanging them on the tree.  It’s so much fun for all of us.

So, it’s time to start organizing the 2021 Orthodox Kid’s Ornament Exchange.

The rules of the swap are simple:

01. Each child will make enough ornaments to send one to each member of his/her group. ORNAMENTS MUST BE HANDMADE and have a religious theme.

02. Include a card (handmade or not) making sure that their name is legible, so we know who they’re from.

03. Adding other trinkets, candies, stickers, etc is a nice gesture but it is not required.

04. Packages must be postmarked by Wednesday, December 15, 2021 to ensure time for the children to enjoy their ornaments before Christmas.  If you’re running late, like we all tend to do sometimes, be sure to let your group know.

05.  Ornaments are sent one per family.  Sibling names are included so that packages and cards are addressed to all of them.

***PLEASE be sure to package your ornaments safely for their journeys! I mention this every year but the past couple of years we’ve received some completely broken. It’s so sad to see that after all the hard work the children put into them!

If you’re interested, please email:

• Your children’s names, ages
• FULL ADDRESS 

to Exchanges{at}OrthodoxMom{dot}com by Wednesday, December 8!

BE SURE TO PUT “2021 ORNAMENT SWAP” in the subject line!!  I really can’t stress the importance of this enough. I mention it every year but people still add their own subject lines. It may not seem like a big deal but this time of year is extra busy for my inbox and by simply taking a couple extra seconds to make sure the subject line is correct ensures your message goes to the proper folder and you get added to the groups! P L E A S E.

**If you fail to follow the directions, I apologize profusely but there will be no guarantee that you are placed into a group.

Comments on this post will not sign you up!  So be sure to send an email so I have your email address so you can receive the list of names and addresses for your group.

I can’t wait to see what treasures your children create this year! Thanks for joining!