I’ve done holiday gift guides for the last three years, and I still recommend all of the items! Check out this link to see all of my past recommendations.
Most of my 2022 recommendations are bookish or experiences paired with a book. I think the combination makes a great gift for anyone on your Christmas list! Plus it’s not just clutter that will be given to a thrift store in a few years!
What’s your go-to gift for history lovers? Let me know so I can add to my list!
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Gifts for Adults
🎁 Tickets to a speaker forum in your hometown – we have the Richmond Forum near us (or check local universities for speakers) – paired with anything by Doris Kearns Goodwin or Ron Chernow
🎁 Membership to a local history museum or the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a corresponding book
🎁 Tickets to a garden party at your local house museum or to a garden week (such as this one in Virginia or this one in Charleston, SC) along with a book about historic gardens (see these about Virginia or Charleston for examples) or a fictional book like The Winter Garden
🎁 A game or puzzle from their home state history museum along with a book set there – for me, something like this cool North Carolina puzzle would be great with a book like The Tobacco Wives or The Wedding Veil
🎁 Tickets to Colonial Williamsburg and this delicious special edition of historic Williamsburg Ginger Cakes tea
🎁 A set of Outlander books and the special edition Outlander tea by Art of Tea
🎁 Any of Frances Mayes’ books (her newest is A Place in the World) and a bottle of the olive oil grown on her Italian estate, Bramasole
🎁 A special delivery from the London institution, Fortnum and Mason – maybe this Christmas treat hamper – and the new Andrew Morton book, The Queen
🎁 Beautiful mugs, prints, and other bookish items from A Fine Quotation, Carrot Top Paper Shop, and the Shop at Sullivan paired with a lovely edition of the book (such as this one of the Anne series or this one of Little Women)
🎁 Tickets to the Bridgerton experience or a local historic hotel’s fabulous afternoon tea and a set of the Bridgerton books
🎁 A book subscription box from your indie of choice – I am trying out the Sweet Reads Christmas box this year thanks to this interview on the Thoughts from a Page podcast.
Gifts for Kids and Teens
🎁 Check your local history museum or historical site for upcoming spring break or summer camps. Pair the ticket with a book for a fun and educational gift! In Virginia, your child could participate in the Summer History Camp at Jamestown and Yorktown or become a Civil War soldier at Pamplin Historical Park!
🎁 D-Day playset or WWII game paired with one of these great D-Day books (affiliate link)
🎁 Tickets to a local show paired with a corresponding book – this is always one of my favorite gifts for my kids! We’ve done tickets with books for Hamilton, The Nutcracker, and many more. For 2023, I’m eyeing a performance at Virginia’s Barter Theatre paired with Steven K. Smith’s new Virginia Mysteries book, Danger on the Stage.
🎁 Tickets to an upcoming game paired with a book about history. Check out The Mosquito Bowl (football players in WWII), Cloudbuster Nine (baseball players in WWII), or NBA at 75 (history of the NBA). For younger readers, check out the young readers edition of Unbroken or The Boys in the Boat.
🎁 Books always make a great gift! Pair Anne Bogel’s new book journal for kids with any of my recommendations at my Bookshop store (affiliate link). For a fun, active book, check out Let’s Make History by Nathan Hale.
Any hard-to-please history enthusiasts on your list? Comment below or email me, and I’ll be happy to brainstorm some gift ideas!
Happy shopping!
