Legends of Christmas Giving

The practice of gift-giving is presently world-wide in scope but the history and tales associated with exchanging presents originally came from the Continent.

In early Rome, gift-giving was popular on New Year's day. Roman citizens exchanged gifts of sweet pasties, lamps, precious stones and coins of gold and silver as tokens of their good wishes for a happy year. The Roman custom is preserved in France to this day.

Perhaps no country has been as wrapped up in gift-giving as Germany, a country known for its wonderful legends.

In Germany, packages of Christmas gifts were called Christ-Bundles. Seventeenth century writings describe the contents of these bundles as containing candy, sugar plums, cakes, apples and nuts. In addition to food, dolls and other toys were included. Useful items: clothes, caps, mittens, stockings and shoes also found their way into the Christ-Bundles. And always tucked among the packages were objects related to teaching: ABC tables, paper, pencils and books. Lastly, attached to the bundle was the Christ-rod which served as a pointed reminder for good behavior!

Another unique approach to presenting gifts in Germany was the custom of the Christmas Ship, in which bundles for the children were hidden. This method was also used in England to some extent but never gained popularity.

There gently sails a precious boat,
It comes with rich and sacred load;
It bears the Son of God benign,
The loving Father's Word Divine.

In Holland, children saved gift money in a pig-shaped earthenware box which was not opened until Christmas. Known as the Feast Pig, it became the precursor or our modern day piggy bank. When opened, the child was rewarded with a collection of money gifts received over an entire year.

Legend says that the exchange of gifts in America stems from two European customs. The first tale regards Saint Nicholas who deposited presents in stockings which had been hung around the house. This celebration was on the eve of his feast day, December the sixth.

The second custom was based on the legend that the Child Jesus brought gifts on December the twenty-fifth. Belief was held that the Holy Child came with Angels during the night, at which time He, along with the Angels and sometimes the parents, trimmed the tree and placed gifts under its branches.

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