Benjamin Teo
Updated on September 26th, 2023
For most of us, the holiday season is about family and friends and giving gifts that matter. But why is it that every year we spend hundreds of dollars on gifts that no one really wants?
Let’s take a deeper look at the origins of gifting on Christmas.
Where Did The Act of Giving Gifts on Christmas Originate From?
Most people would associate the act of giving a gift with the birth of Jesus. The Three Wiseman (would travel far and wide to give Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. However, this is not the origins of gift giving.
In fact, the gift of giving is an ancient tradition that can be traced back to pagan times. This custom began with the Ancient Roman’s who celebrated Saturnalia where it was customary to give thanks to the Agricultural God Saturn (around 336 CE). The events took place on New Year’s Day. A sacrifice was made and a banquet would be held where people of all social standards would celebrate together. It was during the banquet that slaves were allowed free speech and treated equally to their masters.
Saturnalia was celebrated throughout most of Rome during the year’s end, and it was a popular festival due to the fact that slaves and masters would be equal and very generous gifts were given during the celebrations.
Why Did Christians Start Christmas Gift Giving?
The Christmas tradition of gift-giving has its roots in both pagan and Christian customs. The pagan Saturnalia festival was eventually replaced by the early Christmas traditions. Many Saturnalia traditions, including gift-giving, were carried over into Christmas. The idea of gift giving started with the Magi (three wise men) who gave baby Jesus three presents at his birth. The influences of St Nicholas also played an important role that has shaped why we started giving presents on Christmas day.
How Christmas Gift Giving Evolved
From the generous gifts and feast of Saturnalia, Christmas evolved over time and it all started in northern Europe. They stopped having frequent feast days and started to focus more on the act of gift giving which was highly influenced by Saint Nicholas who was called “Sinterklass” (famous for giving gifts to children).
Before the shift, Christmas was mostly for adults as men would celebrate by singing carols and handing out drinks. During this celebration, Father Christmas did not give gifts at Christmas but rather directed the activities of these men.
The Victorians began a new way of celebrating Christmas during the 19th century. They wanted to focus more on gift-giving rather than rowdy celebrations. It was during the 1870s that brought about Father Christmas (Santa Claus) and his famous red sack full of Christmas presents.
How Modern Day Christmas Traditions Begun
Looking back through the years, it’s evident that Christmas gift-giving has come a long way since its humble beginnings. We can thank the Victorians for many of the modern gift-giving customs that we now take for granted.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were the pioneers of Christmas gift giving, setting up tables laden with presents for each other and their royal children in a decorated room at Windsor Castle. Even after Prince Albert’s death, the Queen continued the tradition when she started celebrating Christmas at the Osborne House. The tables were set up in one of the rooms in the main wing, creating a magical atmosphere of Christmas cheer.
Christmas cards were invented in the Victorian era by Sir Henry Cole, a government official who helped set up the Post Office. He had 2,050 cards printed, featuring a central picture of a family raising a toast to the card’s recipient, with scenes of charity to the poor on either side. By the 1870s, greeting cards were being mass-produced for the British market. Around the same time, the practice of wrapping presents in colourful patterned gift paper starts to become popular in England. The tradition comes from North America and was popularised in the early 20th century by Rollie and Joyce Hall of Hallmark Cards. Prior to this, brown paper or coloured tissue paper had been used, and for much of the 19th century, presents were displayed unwrapped.
Presents Under The Christmas Tree
The Victorian era shaped our modern Christmas celebrations and it also helped nurture how presents were placed under the Christmas tree. Gifts were originally quite modest, often consisting of small homemade trinkets accompanied by candy, apples, nuts or pastries. These would usually be hung from the Christmas tree in stockings. Eventually, the stockings couldn’t fit larger presents and they slowly replaced the stockings with ornaments and the presents were placed under the tree.
The Spirit of Giving
Christmas evolved over hundreds of years and became an increasingly popular celebration. Although it changed over time the true spirit of giving a gift never faded. It was this act of giving that has shaped this wonderful day we now celebrate and it’s the reason why Christmas is so popular around the world. It is celebrated not just for its religious beliefs but for the simple gesture of giving. Now that you’ve learned a short history of why people give gifts we hope that giving a Christmas gift will have a whole new meaning to you and your family.
Fun Fact: Why Do We Called It Christmas?
According to History.com, the original name of Christmas was “Feast of the Nativity.” The word changed around the 12th century to “Christemass” which means “Christ’s Mass” and it meant a church service for Christ. And when you combine the words it became Christmas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Night Before Christmas?
In 1823, a 19th-century American poet by the name of Clement C. Moore wrote one of the most famous poems for Christmas called “The Night Before Christmas.” It is a story about Jack Skellington (King of Halloween Town) who discovered Christmas Town. He became obsessed with the holiday celebration and how Santa Claus would make an appearance on Christmas Eve and give presents to children.
How Was Santa Claus Invented?
Santa Claus was inspired by the actions of a real person called Saint Nicholas who gave gifts to people, but not on Christmas day. He would give presents starting from the 6th December up until the 6th of January.
When Was Jesus Actually Birth Day?
The true date is still unknown, but it was not on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. This date was picked out of convenience and commercial interests.
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The original DadShop writer, owner, fun loving and tech guy. Great with computers, gadgets, quick on his feet and lover of novelty gifts. Ben writes for our wonderful blog occasionally just to pass time.
