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Gifts at Christmas
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It is simply tough to imagine celbrating Christmas
in the modern world without thinking about giving gifts. But, one wonders ,
“Why do we give gifts at Christmas?” In some ways, the tradition of giving
gifts at Christmas is a very ancient tradition. In other ways, giving gifts at
Christmas is a relatively new development, as well.
In the Christian religion, the practice of giving gifts at Christmas is traced
back to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that were given to the Christ
child by the three Magi. The magi were kings from the East, wise men who
traveled a great distance following a star, to find the Christ child and to
bring him gifts. The visit of the Magi to the Christ child was originally
celebrated on the Feast of Epiphany on January 6th.
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Over time, the tradition of giving gifts came to be more
associated with Christmas than with Epiphany. It is the time from Christmas to
Epiphany in the Church calendar - from December 25th through January 6th - that
is recognized as the “twelve days of Christmas” from the old Christmas carol.
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To be certain, the ancient Church did not
“celebrate” Christmas as much as it “observed” Christmas as a holy day. It
wasn’t really until the modern era. The tradition of giving gifts to loved ones
at Christmas became more and more popular as the middle ages ended and the
modern era began. Various countries and peoples began to make gift-giving a
regular part of the holy day (or “holiday”) over a period of time. By the time
the Americas were settled, giving gifts at Christmas was practiced by many of
the settlers. The early Dutch settlers to America introduced St. Nicholas, or
Santa Claus, to the new world. The early French and English settlers, in
contrast, were more likely to give gifts at New Year’s or at Epiphany.
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Ultimately, a common Christmas culture developed in which gifts
were given on Christmas. In the nineteenth century, the idea of gift giving
took on new dimensions, as the works of O. Henry, Charles Dickens, and Thomas
Nast all helped to shape our concepts of Santa Claus and other aspects of the
holiday.
Today, we all give gifts at Christmas for easons that are our very own. Like
for some, it is a way to celebrate the Christian holy day. For others, it is a
special time to let family and friends know that you care by giving gifts. At
times, giving gifts at Christmas becomes almost mechanical, and a chore; when
this happens, it is a worthy to stop and reflect for a moment to consider why
do you give gifts at Christmas.
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