THE tradition of gift giving has been around for many years, but have you ever wondered why people around the world exchange gifts during this special day?
Christmas is associated with the birth of Jesus Christ but how did gift giving and Santa Claus stocking become a big part of this special day? There is a reason why Santa and presents have become a must during the festive season.
According to website www.whychristmas.com one of the main reason people have the custom of giving and receiving presents during Christmas is to remind them of the presents given to Jesus by the wise men when they visited him in Bethlehem.
The gifts listed by www.whychristmas.com included frankincense, gold and myrrh.
* Frankincense — was a perfume used in Jewish worship and as a gift as it shows that the people would worship Jesus.
* Gold — was associated with Kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King and Kings.
* Myrrh — was a perfume that was put on dead bodies to make them smell nice and as a gift it showed or represented that Jesus would suffer and die for many people.
According to the website Christmas is about a big present that God gave the world about 2000 years ago — Jesus!
One of the most famous Bible verse John 3:16 says ‘God loved the world so much, that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life.’
Looking at other Christmas figures around the world, the website highlights that all over the world families and friends give presents to one another and most children around the world believe in a Christmas gift bringer.
It’s often St Nicholas, Santa Claus (Father Christmas), but in parts of Germany they believe that it is the Christkind.
In Spain they believe it is the Wise Men and in parts of Italy they believe it is an old lady called Befana.
There are different Christmas figures associated with gift giving around the world and knowing the story behind such traditions is important.
