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Gift Giving
Giving Gifts this Christmas? Find out where it all originated
The tradition of gift giving was introduced on St Nicholas Day when the nun’s and wealthy people of the town would give gifts to the children and the poor. The gifts that were given were simple and cheap gifts: Food, Fruit, simple wooden toys- not the gifts of today. The gifts for St Nicholas’s Day were not wrapped, they were simply handed out.
The Christmas tree also contributed to this Christmas tradition. Christmas trees in the early days mainly had items such as food such as apples and candy as decorations. As the decorations transformed to tin cut outs, fiddles, drums, needle cases, lace, paper chains etc the decorations were given as gifts.
As the generations passed the value and types of gifts changed depending on the social status of the person buying the gift. Also the gift giving changed from Nuns and the wealthy giving to the children and the poor, the trend started to shift more towards giving within the family, so from Parents to Children for example.
In the American depression of 1839-40 people were encouraged to spend on Christmas presents to try and help the economy. Nowadays as we all know gifts have now evolved into a mega industry and now in America, each person spent an average of $907 on gifts for Christmas 2006 (http://americanresearchgroup.com/holiday/)
Need help with Christmas Present Ideas
(do a gift advisor of grumleys products)
Helpful Hints for buying Christmas Presents.
Why not make a list of everyone you need to buy presents for, and then during the year write down ideas as they happen, rather than trying to think about what to buy everyone on Christmas Eve. Perhaps you will notice that your brother needs a new skateboard, or your mum’s sewing machine needs replacing.
Make gifts yourself: It is always the thought that counts and nothing says you thought of them more than making a personal gift. These days with technology you can make many useful presents with that personal touch such as calendars, diaries, notebooks and much more.
When you write a list of people you need to buy presents for write down next to that persons name some key words which might help you in the present search. What sort of personality are they, do they have any hobbies or interests that could provide ideas for presents? Do they have a favourite author/artist/band/football team etc?
Think outside the box: Try to think of things you wouldn’t normally buy as presents:
Subscriptions to their favourite magazine
Movie Passes/tickets to a show/musical/concert
An Experience (if we have a link to red balloon days)
Holiday or gift vouchers for a short break
Vouchers for massage/mud baths/pampering
Or why not donate to a charity in their name (perhaps we could put links to the charities that we work with as well as links to others)
Or why not browse our selection of Christmas Goodies: put link to Christmas pages.
Interesting Present Facts:
In Brazil, South America Children have to search for their presents outside!
The American Tradition of Kris Kringle comes from a legend that the Christ Child actually gave out the presents himself.
In 2006 an American mother had her 12 year old arrested for opening a Christmas present too early!
If you added up all the items in the 12 days of Christmas song: 12 drummers drumming,
11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping, 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids a-milking, 7 swans a-swimming, 6 geese a-laying, 5 golden rings, 4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree! The contents if bought in 2006 would cost $18,920.59USD!
(Reference http://www.allthingschristmas.com/gifts.php)
