The Gift of Giving

     Christmas gift giving is an amalgam of Saturnalia and the Magi and we couldn’t care less as long there’s at least one present under the tree with our name on it.

Former winter festivities featured much revelry and gift giving. Saturnalia would later be shanghaied and converted for religious purposes. Of course we’re talking about the ceremonies we currently call Christmas.

Many of the traditions designed to ward off the long, cold winter nights were also abducted and converted for the big day. One of those is offering presents. Mimicking the Three Wise Men and their presentations to the Christ child, gift giving was justified and became part of Christmas.

The practice was further enforced by fourth-century St. Nicholas who was a notorious gift giver to the needy. It wasn’t until the Victorian era when focus shifted to the children.

Industrialization and mass production encouraged commercialism and gift buying (and giving).

We probably don’t wanna know what Loki is offering, but even he seems to have the spirit of the season.