As the gift-giving season approaches, books are a wonderful option and though it might seem a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, ordering early will save time and help relieve some of the stress of the holidays. Young readers will be delighted to learn about the Greek traditions associated with Christmas in two new books by Greek-Australian Panagiota Andreadakis.

She told The National Herald about the books, noting that “I have just launched two Christmas books The 123 of the Twelve Days of Christmas (numbers board book for toddlers) and The Twelve Days of Christmas Activity Book (97 pages). They have landed in the U.S. and are being sold by Taste and Art of Greece [based in Manchester, New Hampshire].”

“These books complete the book sets for Easter and Christmas, and with a little luck I may add to the collection some fun products next year,” Andreadakis told TNH.

The 123 of the Twelve Days of Christmas bilingual Greek-English book features similar illustrations to Andreadakis’ The ABC of the Twelve Days of Christmas. The book teaches and encourages children to practice counting numbers 1-12, matching the numbers with the illustrations, learning essential first words in this educational introduction to religious and cultural traditions of the Greek Orthodox Twelve Days of Christmas.

Andreadakis’ The Twelve Days of Christmas Activity Book is a great companion book to both The ABC of the Twelve Days of Christmas and The 123 of the Twelve Days of Christmas and includes fun and religious Color-Me-In pages and activities focusing on the Greek Orthodox Christmas period from the Nativity Lent to the Birth of Jesus Christ, New Year, and the Theophany.

This activity book includes Orthodox icons and fun color-me-in illustrations, do-it-yourself (DIY) Craft and Educational family-friendly activities; Educational and Religious Fun Facts; information about Nativity Lent, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and Name Day words and phrases; recipes for karydopita, Christopsomo, Vasilopita, and loukoumades; how to instructions for a home iconostasis, the Sign of the Cross, kandili, censer, eiresione; fill in your own family recipes for kourabiedes, diples, and melomakarona; Word Search Puzzle; fill in the blanks, True or False, learning about carols, prayers, hymns, Blessing of the Home and objects; Saint Feast Days; My Special Days: My Baptism and Name Day; mazes; Spot the Difference, Match and Learn; and Seek and Find.

The book also includes five DIY bonus pages for crafts and other activities such as DIY Nativity scene, DIY Name Day Greeting Card, DIY Christmas Ornaments and/or Gift Tags, DIY Letter to Agios Vasili, Colored stickers A4 page.

The book covers the following topics Nativity Lent, the foods we can and are not allowed to eat, the Nikolobabara, the Tradition of the Karavaki, Saint Nicholas, Twelve Days of Christmas calendar, Pontic tradition of the Momogeroi, Carols for Christmas, New Year, and Theophany, among many other aspects of the Christmas season.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Activity Book has been designed to grow with your child and/or family offering a range of educational and craft activities that cater to all age groups. It is a must have educational resource for any Greek Orthodox home.

Shop online: https://www.tasteandartofgreece.com.

More information is also available online: https://www.stelakis.com.au.