Meaningful Catholic Gifts from Mexico for Every Sacrament and Milestone

Below are ideas for each sacrament and milestone, a short guide to what each object means, and a simple way to choose a patron saint for the person you are celebrating.

The classic Mexican devotional gifts

• Retablos: small painted images of a saint, Christ or the Virgin, traditionally on tin or wood, made to hang on a wall or stand on a home altar. They became widely popular in 19th-century Mexico. Read more in our guide to retablos.
• Milagros: tiny charms, often of tin or silver, shaped like a heart, a hand, a house or a praying figure. People pin them to a saint's image as a petition or as thanks for a prayer answered. See our article on milagros.
• Rosaries: a gift for every age, from a child's first rosary to a wedding rosary for the couple.
• Veladoras: tall glass candles with a saint's image, lit for a petition, in thanksgiving, or in memory of someone. A veladora on a home altar is one of the most familiar sights in a Mexican home.

Gifts for baptism and First Communion

In Mexico, the padrinos (godparents) of a baptism take on a lifelong role in the child's faith, and their gift is often something the child will keep: a medal, a small rosary, a children's Bible, or an image of the Virgin or a guardian saint for the nursery wall. Many families choose Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas and protector of families, or Saint Michael the Archangel as a guardian.

For First Communion, think of something a child can grow into: a rosary of their own, a prayer book, or a saint image they can place by their bed and keep into adulthood.

Gifts for confirmation

At confirmation, many Catholics choose a saint's name, so the obvious and most personal gift is an image of that saint, along with a short note about their life. If the young person is drawn to writing, prayer or big questions, Saint Teresa of Ávila is a beautiful choice; her poem Nada te turbe (Let nothing disturb you) has comforted readers for centuries. If they need courage, Saint Michael the Archangel is the classic protector.

Pair the image with a letter from you about why you chose it. That letter is often the part they keep longest.

Gifts for weddings, housewarmings and Mother's Day

• Weddings: in a Mexican Catholic wedding, padrinos sponsor the lazo (the cord or rosary placed around the couple), the arras (thirteen coins) and sometimes the Bible and rosary. A saint image for the couple's first home altar is a thoughtful addition, especially Our Lady of Guadalupe as protector of the new family.
• Housewarmings: a saint for the new house is a Mexican tradition. Saint Michael is often placed near the door for protection, and a patron of cooks belongs in the kitchen.
• Mother's Day: in Mexico it is celebrated on May 10. A Guadalupe image, a rosary or a veladora with a handwritten prayer is a gift many mothers treasure.
• Hard times: for a friend facing illness, job loss or a long wait, Saint Jude Thaddeus, patron of hope and difficult causes, is the saint people turn to. See our article on Saint Jude.

How to choose a patron saint for someone

There is no wrong answer, but these questions help:

• Their name: many people share a name with a saint, and in Mexico the día del santo (the saint's feast day) is still celebrated.
• Their work or passion: writers and seekers have Teresa of Ávila; cooks have San Pascual Bailón; animal lovers and gardeners have Francis of Assisi.
• What they are going through: protection, a new home, a new baby, a difficult cause.
• Their family's devotion: if a grandmother always prayed to Guadalupe, that image will carry the family's story.
• Where they come from: for anyone who loves San Miguel de Allende, Saint Michael is the town's own patron.

Our six Catrina saints and the gift box

Each of our retablos shows a saint as a Catrina in front of San Miguel's pink Parroquia, printed on wood from an original painting by Leslie Kate, with a prayer. Choose from Saint Teresa of Ávila, Saint Michael the Archangel, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Pasquala, our Catrina interpretation inspired by San Pascual Bailón, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Jude Thaddeus.

The retablo with tag ($32 USD) arrives gift-wrapped with ribbon and a tag. The gift box ($72 USD) adds a milagro charm, a prayer card, a candle and matches, so it is ready to give for a baptism, a wedding or a new home. For more on each saint, browse our guide to patron saints.