In the pandemonium of shuffling classes around and juggling homework, it hit me early last week that my mom's birthday was Saturday. After a quick lunch, I hurried to the bookstore where I could collect some ideas. Every book passed and decoration on display made me less and less sure of what she would like. I realized that gift giving is something that takes a lot of thought and time, and giving the right gift means a lot to the sender as well as the receiver.
The idea of gift giving has been around long before Saint Nicholas was loading the sleigh and expecting cookies. The early Hebrews held a Festival of Lights (Chanukkah) celebrating the re-dedication of the temple. Small gifts are given to children during this time during each of the eight days and in order to keep the children happy and the pocket-book safe, smaller gifts are the norm.
Now let's look at some of the Nordic trends in a more western society. In Finland, gifts are appropriate as flowers (in even numbers) and/or chocolates. The same goes for the Swedes, however it is polite to unwrap flowers before giving them and choosing the flowers carefully since many have special significance. Again going a little south to Denmark the choice is still flowers, chocolate or good wine. Red wrapping paper welcomed as well.
Christian gift giving dates to the beginning when the Magi from the East brought presents to the newborn Savior. Gift giving among early Christians coincided well with the Roman festival Saturnalia that bears many traditions we have on Christmas Day. Saint Nicholas of Myra was well known for his good deeds which is why many immigrants to America knew him as their Patron Saint.
And we can cap it all off with our own gift giving traditions here in the USA. Contemporary gifts are more store bought items and decorations. My favorite gifts growing up were always the ones at Christmas and usually had something to do with Legos, Creepy-Crawler makers or RC cars. These always came though with the lesson that Christmas meant more than presents but the symbol of gift giving and what was behind the wrapping and toys. (0:00 - 1:30)
(PS you know you are in the Harker home if you hear random quotes from this movie at any time of the year). From Japan to Israel, Norway to America gift giving has survived generations since the beginning of time. Customs give flavor to families and cultures, and each new generation teaches the next rising one those practices. Maybe we can change the traditions a bit to give things with more heart and less price tag. and On a lighter note, here's one idea to consider (see clip below). May your gift giving be full of cheer!
Wow--so many cultures! That's great. My husband doesn't make a big deal out of birthdays, and I love it. I worry for when children come along...how big of a deal will they want their birthdays to be?
ReplyDeleteHolland, at least for the first few years you and your husband will have almost complete control over what your child is exposed to. If they never see huge birthday bashes, they won't know the difference. Besides that children tend to follow the path their parents set for them and want to emulate their parents, or end up following their parents subconsciously. When they get a little older, things will probably change, but you don't have to worry about that for a while.
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me reflect on the things I've been excited to get for Christmas or my birthday over the course of my life. When I was little I always wanted toys, and hated getting clothes or toothpaste, but, now that I have pay for my own things, I'm thrilled to be given the practical necessities. The thoughtful gifts I get these days ensure that I'm able to live healthy and clean.
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ReplyDeleteI too am amazed and impressed by the abundance of culturally significant forms of gift giving. The idea of giving a gift is such a beautiful and personal one. I love taking my time to find that just-the-right thing that will really mean something to both myself and the receiver.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of knowledge, I definitely think the personal knowledge we share with others is a gift. It's wonderful that as we strive to develop our talents we can then teach what we know to others. In that sense, teaching is the best gift. More than any material object, teaching another is like giving the gift of yourself. Teaching requires you to sacrifice your time and abilities for the good of another. And I think that's beautiful.
@Catherine, that is very, very refreshing. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI like the link you posted about Japanese gift-giving. The competitive nature of it kind of reminds me about pot-latching, the Native American tradition of gaining prestige by holding parties in which the host gives lavish gifts to all who are in attendance (especially to those of a rival tribe). The rivals would also hold these pot-latches in which they would try to out do the original host by giving away even more extreme presents. Although the Japanese system isn't quite as extreme, they both follow that pattern of upping the ante with each succeeding gift.
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