Gift giving has been an enduring tradition during Christmas time. So much so, that many are bewailing and lamenting the commercialization of Christmas, especially in recent years. But you could not and should not stop people from buying gifts for friends, family and loved ones. This is one Christmas tradition that is rooted deeply in our culture and psyche.
In fact, it is very difficult to think about Christmas without thinking about gift giving. Even Christmas decorations, Christmas cards and other things that have something to do with Christmas often have gifts as designs. And Christmas is still the busiest shopping day in the United States.
So why do we give gifts during Christmas?
For Christians, gift giving is a way to symbolize the gifts of myrrh, frankincense and gold that was given by the Three Wise Men to the Baby Jesus in the manger. It was traditionally done every January 6, but was soon transferred to Christmas Day.
For others, gift giving goes with the image of Santa Claus. He rewards good children for being nice the whole year round by giving them toys, candies and other gifts.
No matter how gift giving started, what matters is why we gifts nowadays. For some of us, it is our way of sharing our blessings. It is a way of giving back to other people all the blessing we have gotten for the year that is going to end. For others, it is a way to show their love and remembrance. Giving a gift is tantamount to saying that you are being remembered and you mean something to the giver. Still others just find joy in giving gifts to family and friends. This is especially true for giving gifts to children. Remember how light your heart felt when you saw a kid’s eyes light up at the sight of the gift he received?
