Nov 9, 2012

Take the Pain out of Gift Giving!

There's no doubt that the practice of giving gifts to people isn't going away any time soon. After all, it's been around for over 2,000 years, at least in Western civilizations. We're not about to change two millennia of traditions at this point, are we? What is interesting is that people have no idea of how our current traditions originated, or how far back in history they go. From early texts that have been recovered, it appears that the first instances of gift exchanges that are recorded go back to the ancient Babylonians, although the practice probably started even earlier. Ever since early nomads coalesced into tribes and leaders emerged, there's a good chance that they were given gifts as a form of appreciation, as well as making sure that the gift giver was seen in a favourable light.


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If you find yourself in the situation that you would like to give a present to someone you know, but don't really know that well, you don't have to rack your brain trying to think of the perfect gift. You simply have to go to web, where you will find a tremendous selection of gift baskets and hampers that are perfect for any situation. With just a couple of mouse clicks, you can choose and pay for your gift, and have it shipped for you. Problem solved!

Back to Our Friends the Babylonians
Leave it to the folks who supposedly created the tower of Babel to make things complicated. They had a tradition where one of their gods, Nimrod, became reincarnated every year during the winter solstice (by no coincidence, just a few days before Christmas). That's a fairly straightforward proposition; but it gets a little more complicated than that. Allegedly, Nimrod returned as his own son, having been born by his own wife, Semiramis. And we think our lives are complicated! The telling detail to this complex tale is that, in honour of this annual event, Semiramis started the tradition of cutting down a tree. It is from here that we have the first references to what we would now consider Christmas trees.

The Roman population, always vying for the Emperor's favour, initiated the custom of giving him a gift at some point during the year, usually silver or gold coins. This occurred during a festival known as Saturnalia. By the middle of the third century A.D., the holy Roman Emperor Constantine was faced with the reality that the ritual of Saturnalia couldn't continue in its past form, but the people were not about to abandon the custom. So, in one of those “eureka” moments, Constantine figured out a way to appease both the priests of his new religion and the masses at large, and voila,’ Saturnalia became Christmas.

Make It Easy on Yourself

Thank goodness your life isn't quite that complicated, is it? If you have to get a present for someone you know, and you're really not sure what is appropriate, you can make your life a lot less complicated by shopping online and ordering whatever is most appropriate.

Chris Harlepp is a US-based writer covering topics ranging from lifestyle to the complexities of modern life, including hampers.co.uk. He writes on a freelance basis for many of the major lifestyle blogs.
 

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