Gifts Unwrapped: Gift-Giving During Christmas

Gifts Unwrapped: Gift-Giving During Christmas

Excitement, anticipation, joy, the spirit of gifting encompasses a lot of emotions. While you are on a quest for the perfect Christmas gift for your little one, has it ever occurred to you as to where did the practice of giving gifts to children on Christmas come from? 

The ancient tradition of gift-giving

Gift giving can be dated back to the Neolithic period. It was a common practice in prehistoric times to help maintain friendships and build bonds. It is during the winter solstice that people gather together around sites like the Stonehenge for a hearty feast and for the tradition of gifting.

The pre-Roman times also witnessed an active gift-giving tradition. Romans gifted ‘Strenia’, a symbol of good health and physical wellbeing. 

It was very important that one chose the right gift, which largely depended on one’s social status. It worked the other way around. A token low value gift showed a measure of high esteem one had for a friend, while an expensive gift simply showed that they were trying too hard. 

Protestant Reformation in northern Europe saw the moving away from the innumerable feast days they had and the shift of gift-giving to Christmas time. Gift-giving during Christmas also has its roots in North America and the popularity of Santa Claus. 

Christmas and gift-giving

Like many popular Christmas traditions, people have been exchanging gifts for a very long time. While trends and tastes in gifts have changed over time, the gesture of preparing and looking for something of value to friends and family has been honoured by people across the world. 

Today, the tradition of giving gifts to loved ones forms a central part of Christmas and families dedicate a lot of time in trying to find the right gift for each other. 

Santa’s list of those who have been ‘good’

Children are often asked to ponder upon whether they have been good during the year as Santa only rewards good children. If a child were to be corrected at any time of the year, they would be told that they are not being good and that their name would not appear on Santa’s list. Parents secretly giving gifts to their children as if given by Santa can be seen as a method of rewarding the child for good behaviour. 

Christmas gift ideas

While ideas of what you can give your child this Christmas are plenty, one thing that your child will cherish and treasure for Christmas and after is a personalised gift. Something that would be the perfect gift for your child this Christmas is a personalised story book where your child is the hero! Yes, you read that right. An original story with the option to customise the avatar, gender of the main character and pick the storyline too! Merlinwand features an amazing collection of personalised story books for children of all ages. Wonderfully illustrated with bright colours and beautifully worded, it will get your child to read, a habit you might be trying to inculcate in your child. These stories take your child into a world of imagination and creativity where the sky's the limit. 

Get ready for the festive season and give your child a gift of a lifetime. 

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