The Origin of Christmas Gifts
Why Do We Give Presents on Christmas?
Christmas is a season when a lot of people go out of their way to shop for gifts for their loved ones, family, friends and other people with whom they have a connection. Whatever the giver’s Christmas gift idea is, it is usually something that the recipient is sure to be interested in or enjoy.
It has been centuries since the first Christmas gift has been given and it is not actually what it is supposed to be.
A Christmas gift these days is usually something that the giver has invested a lot of thought into and is also something that the recipient may just enjoy or have an interest in.
A Christmas gift is given to make the recipient happy or to show the recipient that the giver has put a lot of thought in to the gift and the recipient. The Christmas gift is usually wrapped in merrily colored Christmas wrappers that speak of the season, tied with beautiful ribbons and other decorations.
Some people opt for the gift bag where the Christmas gift is slipped in and then tied or secured at the top or opening.
How It Began
The Christmas gift idea began when the Christians leaders took it upon themselves to revise some of the more pagan rituals which occurred in Rome. One of these rituals was the lawless Saturnalia event that happens from December 17 up to December 25.
In the end of this pagan ritual, gifts or sacrifices are given to the Roman gods or the priests. When the Christians strove to revise this ritual and to proclaim that the December 25th is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the giving of the sacrifices was revised as gift giving to each other and the Christmas gift was born.
The practice of giving a Christmas gift did not catch on well initially since many knew that this was a revised pagan ritual. Some cities even banned the practice of Christmas altogether but eventually, the practice caught on.
As more and more people came to know of Jesus Christ and accept Him and Christianity, the giving of a Christmas gift was seen as an effort to make others happy and to foster better relationships with family and friends.
The Origin of Christmas Gifts is not remembered or minded by the people these days. For some, the important thing is the thought behind the Christmas gift.
