Like many favorite Christmas traditions for a long time, people have been exchanging gifts such as gift cards. Although trends and choices in gifts have changed over time, the deed of purchasing, preparing, and presenting valuable presents to family and friends is still being admired in celebration of the festive season for thousands of years.
Presently, devoting time to family and exchanging gifts is a core part of Christmas day. The opportunity of receiving gifts is the highlight of the Christmas season for children and some adults too. Gifting is celebrated widely in Singapore – industries spend billions of dollars every year on producing, marketing, and selling gifts.
History of Christmas Gifting
It is essential to know the origination of the Christmas gifting tradition and its significance. The ritual of distributing Christmas presents dates back to the era before the birth of Jesus. Various early cultures, like Romans and the Norse, had winter solstice celebrations that included exchanging gifts.
Saturnalia December Celebrations
Saturnalia was a festival that began on December 17th and remained till December 23rd. The Romans had their ritual of exchanging presents during Saturnalia. In Christmas history, St. Nicholas was one of the most popular gift-givers. He charmed the children and adults by leaving surprise gifts in the shoes kept outside.
In the 13th century, on Christmas eve, numerous French nuns prepared and distributed gifts to the needy. Besides, in the 18th century, giving gifts became the chief tradition of Christmas celebrations.
The gifts presented are supposed to remind of the King’s journey and Almighty’s generous gift to humanity and help the unfortunate.
Victorian Age Tradition
The Victorians brought kindliness and quintessence to Christmas, making the celebrations family-oriented. Even the most strict parents would relish games with their children, hearts full of love and friendliness. To present a gift was an expression of warmth, cheerfulness, and ingenuity for the Victorians.
One of such traditions was a cobweb party. Every family member is assigned a color, then directed to a room crisscrossed with yarns of different colors. The task is to find their assigned colors, such as red, and follow the thread to locate their Christmas presents.
Why Do We Give Gifts?
The motivation behind exchanging gifts vary from individual to individual. However, over the years, we have found the following reasons behind the act of exchanging gifts:
- We give gifts when we know that our contribution will make a difference in someone’s life.
- We give gifts to support the objectives we believe are essential. It involves health research, environmental preservation, or social equality.
- Some of us present gifts to support the battle against a specific life-threatening disease, such as HIV, tuberculosis, or cancer.
- We give gifts because it makes us feel happy, wonderful, and satisfied.
- Some of us also give gifts to decrease our tax load while assisting others.
Irrespective of the reason behind giving gifts, it is essential to keep in mind that the deed of giving and receiving benefits both the giver and the receiver.
Benefits of Christmas Gifting
Amongst the various benefits, we have compiled a list of 7 benefits of Christmas gifting for the generous givers.
Triggers the Reward Center In Your Brain
A U.S. university professor conducted a study on giving and revealed that giving generates a delightful response in the brain. This response is similar to the one created by psychotropic drugs and other pleasant stimuli. In short, giving assists in unleashing chemical hormones like dopamine and endorphins.
Enhances Life Satisfaction
Giving leads to releasing oxytocin, a hormone that instigates the feeling of warmth, delight, and connection with others. Some people believe that this is the reason why giving also stimulates gratitude in the giver.
Makes You Happy
Another study conducted in the U.S. on the effectiveness of giving illustrates that people who frequently keep giving to others report higher levels of happiness, joy, and contentment in their life than those who don’t. Again, it is because the effortless act of giving generates a sense of satisfaction and well-being.
It is Contagious
Giving motivates other people to give too. It is like a chain reaction that starts with one person that expands kindliness to no end. As soon as you start giving, you will observe that your family and friends are becoming more generous. Knowing that your generosity is spreading provides a significant amount of satisfaction.
Boosts Your Health
The act of giving can help you reduce your high blood pressure, symptoms of anxiety and depression, isolation, and loneliness. It enhances your immune system to kick off disease and sickness. Kindliness leads to a longer lifespan; probably, it can add days, weeks, months, or even years to your life.
Diminishes Stress
The University of Tennessee and Josh Hopkins University both regulated a study on giving. The study’s findings showed that frequent givers tend to experience lesser rates of stress and blood pressure. The people who don’t give regularly do not get to enjoy such health advantages.
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Tweaks Self-Esteem
Statistics show that givers relish an inflated level of contentment and satisfaction in their life. They have higher self-esteem and an optimistic self-image as compared to those who do not give. Generous people feel more fantastic about themselves and are viewed in a more positive light by others.
Best Christmas Gifts 2022
Planning for Christmas gifts can be a tricky task, especially when you are playing Secret Santa. Everyone has their style and taste and might always align with your style. But for your ease, we have a list of gifts you can consider giving to your family and friends in 2021.
- Bouquet – No gift can be more thoughtful and attractive than a bouquet. So send your friends and family a bouquet from the best florist in Singapore.
- Headphones – Gift a pair of noise-canceling headphones for when one wants to focus on their thoughts while exercising or jogging.
- Wool Blanket – With the emergence of global warming, the weather is rapidly changing. So gift your dear ones a wool blanket to keep them warm.
- Portable Campfire – Festive season calls for family gatherings. A portable campfire is an ideal gift for people who go out on excursions frequently.
- Food Basket – Save the ladies of your house from the worry of working in the kitchen during the festivities. Instead, order a food basket, sit with your family and enjoy yourself together.
- Sweatshirts – For the youth and the kids in your network, sweatshirts are the perfect gift idea. It will keep them warm and add a new look to their wardrobe.
- Temperature Control Mug – You wouldn’t like to get up to reheat your cup of coffee again, would you? Gift your loved one a temperature control mug so that they don’t have to get out of the blanket to reheat their cup of coffee.
- Potted Plant – Potted plants are one of the most thoughtful gifts of all time. Gift your friends a live bonsai tree or jade plant. It will purify the air in their home, lower the stress and add a touch of beauty to their living room or bedroom.
- Personalized Bottles – Everyone loves to own things that have their names on them, like a t-shirt or a mug or anything else. So gift someone personalized bottles with their name printed on them. It will make them feel special and look cool too.
- Home Office Lap Desk – With the outbreak of COVID-19 and the worldwide lockdown, everyone has to study or work from home forcefully. Therefore, a home office lap desk is a valuable gift for both students and working professionals.
Christmas gifting is not only a joyful tradition, but it also has significance, and now you know that. So to make your Christmas gifts even more unique, add a flower or bouquet to your gifts from Singapore’s number one florist, Beato. They also have different subscription plans. Click here to learn more.
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