Why Do We Give Gifts at Christmas?

Ask the Three Wise Men.

The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is both an ancient custom and a modern invention.

In the Christian religion, Christmas gift giving is traced back to the time of King Herod. Treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh were presented to the Baby Jesus by the Three Magi. These three wise men were kings from the East, following a rising star that would lead them to the Christ child (Matthew 2:1-12).

● The gift of gold is associated with kings, since Jesus is considered by Christians as the King of Kings

● The gift of frankincense is a promise of worship, since the perfume is used in Jewish ceremony

● The gift of myrrh is an omen of Jesus’ suffering, since the fragrance is used for Jewish burials

Eventually, Christians also began giving gifts at birthdays, too.

The joyous worship of the Three Magi through gift giving was originally remembered on January 6, the Feast of Epiphany, also by giving presents. In the church calendar, the time from Christ’s birth to Epiphany – from December 25 through January 6 – is recognized in modern times as the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Over the years, people began to give gifts on Christmas Day rather than on Epiphany. The rest is modern history.

Ancient Holy Day – Modern Holiday

The ancient Church observed Christmas as a holy day; to the modern world, December 25 is celebrated as a holiday. Giving Christmas gifts became more popular after the Middle Ages. By the time North and South America were discovered, many settlers in the New World were already giving gifts at Christmas – although early French and English settlers were more likely to give gifts at the New Year or at Epiphany.

Who introduced St. Nicholas? Why, the early Dutch settlers to America, of course. And with that comes the custom of hanging stockings.

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