The tradition of giving gifts in mid-winter is an ancient one, but it has grown rapidly since the late 1900s due to its association with the Christian feast of Christmas and an increase in consumer prosperity.

In ancient Rome, gift-giving occurred near the winter solstice, which in the northern hemisphere occurs in late December. This was celebrated during the Saturnalia festival, a pagan celebration held on December 17 of the Julian Calendar.

In 325 AD, Emperor Constantine invited Christian bishops to the ‘Council of Nicaea’ to finally adopt Christianity as an accepted religion within the Roman Empire. When Christianity became the official religion of the Empire in 380 AD, the custom of gift-giving moved to New Year’s Day and the pagan celebrations were outlawed.

Earlier, around the year 336 AD, the date of December 25 had been established by the early Christian church as the day of Jesus’s birth (mainly as a way of further suppressing the pagan mid-winter festivities), and the tradition of gift-giving was then tied to the story of the Magi, giving gifts to baby Jesus. More recently, the addition of another story, that of Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Christian bishop and gift-giver, added to it, becoming a part of Christmas celebrations on December 25 in countries such as the UK. However, in other Christian countries, the practice of gift-giving occurs early in Advent, on Saint Nicholas Day, December 6,  Epiphany (January 6), or on New Year’s Day, as is the tradition in Greece.

Some early Christian rulers interpreted this story as an indication that it should be their subjects who should give gifts to their superiors, and insisted on tributes and tithes during that period! This changed around the turn of the first millennium, following the popularity of the Good King Wenceslas story based on the life of another historical person who claimed to be a gift-giver, Saint Wenceslaus. Christmas gift-giving to superiors became less common, and around the time of the Protestant Reformation (16th century), the custom of gift-giving to children became increasingly widespread in Europe. The custom spread to the United States around the 19th century. This also coincided with the desire of some elites to reduce the rowdiness of adult Christmas celebrations, which in some places were tied to begging, as “bands of young men, often rowdy, would “wassail’ from home to home and demand handouts from the gentry”. Another related aspect was the growing desire by parents to keep children at home, away from the “corrupting” influence of the urban streets.

In Greece, there are a few rules to remember regarding gift-giving:

• Exchange with close friends and family members

You don’t really give gifts to people that you don’t know that well. The honour of giving and receiving a gift is usually reserved for those who have a special place in a person’s life.

• Obey the rules for wrapping and opening

Another important rule is that a gift should always be wrapped. Not only that, but it is considered impolite for the recipient to wait. It should be opened immediately, and a reaction given right away.

• Don’t spend too much money

Gifts should be meaningful but not too expensive. This is because they are expected to give a gift that has an equal value to the gift you gave them in return. When you give out an expensive gift, you make it difficult for a friend or a member of your family to reciprocate.

• Never give a knife, scissors, or anything sharp

Knives and scissors should not be given out as Christmas gifts. It is normally considered bad luck to give something sharp.

A Merry Christmas to all our readers