| Traditions of Christmas Gifts | | | | “greetings” to family members over the holidays |
| We see the very first Christmas presents being given | | | | has been around longer than the actual “greeting |
| far back in history. In ancient Rome, during the feast of | | | | card” so it’s safe to say that Christmas letters |
| Kalends, it was tradition for the high-ranking officials to | | | | were the original “Christmas greeting” of choice. |
| give gifts to the Roman Emperor. This wasn’t | | | | It’s important to note that Christmas letters as we |
| technically a Christian holiday (it was actually pagan) | | | | know them today is a pretty recent development. |
| but it does coincide with the time of year and the | | | | Once greeting cards were made available actual |
| gift-giving tradition. | | | | “letters” to family and friends fell to the wayside. |
| A person who jump-started the gift-giving traditions at | | | | Thanks to copy machines and at-home printers, |
| Christmas was good old Saint Nicholas. He was | | | | that’s all changed. |
| known for giving gifts. | | | | The New Christmas Letter |
| Christmas gifts traditions | | | | I received my first two Christmas letters in the 90s. |
| Christmas presents as we know them today actually | | | | One I loved and the other I hated. One was full of |
| started in America. It’s been a longtime tradition to | | | | warm wishes and holiday cheer, the other was filled |
| give little gifts to friends and family, but the massive | | | | with “I did that” and “we did this” nonstop |
| giving that goes on nowadays is a creation all our own. | | | | bragging. |
| In the early 1800s stores and companies started | | | | I’m under the impression that the “oh I’m |
| advertising Christmas gifts. By the 1840s, the tradition | | | | wonderful” Christmas letter tradition started in the |
| of lavish giving was fully ingrained into American | | | | 90s too. Personally, I prefer the less-bragging more |
| society. | | | | thanking and rejoicing Christmas letter approach. It’s |
| Giving gifts to those we love is in sync with the true | | | | probably more in line with the traditional Christmas |
| spirit of Christmas. So let the Christmas presents roll - | | | | letters of yesteryear. |
| it’s a wonderful time of year. | | | | So this year if you decide to write a Christmas letter, |
| Traditions of Christmas Letter | | | | remember that you are doing something that was |
| You’ve probably gotten at least one Christmas | | | | done well before greeting cards or Hallmark were |
| letter in your life. Some people love them, others hate | | | | ever invented. And please, for the sake of sanity, |
| them. When did the tradition begin? | | | | make it a “How wonderful is He” letter and not |
| The first actual Christmas letter was probably written | | | | a “How wonderful am I” holiday |
| hundreds of years ago. The tradition of sending | | | | correspondence. |
