Celebrations and gifting may not be synonyms, but they are definitely inseparable. Any occasion or festival is incomplete without the exchange of gifts. Gifting activity is not a recent development; it dates back to thousands of years across all cultures and walks of life. That is what history of gifting really is.
Gifting is a universal tradition that speaks only one language called love. It is a ritual that may be in practice since time memorial and still continues to be the most powerful tool in building and cementing relationships. Without any doubt, gifts are an expression of affection, admiration, and respect towards friends, elders, and loved ones.
Although the exact era is still unknown as to when and how gifting became a tradition/ritual, but there are a few studies available that can lead us to its origin.
1. Going Back
Going back in times and deep into the history of civilizations, one of the studies reveals that ancient Egyptians were the originators of the tradition of gifting. Kings and rulers of adjacent and far off kingdoms and business communities of the land are mentioned as the frontrunners of presenting expensive gifts to the pharaohs on their coronation day.
The pharaohs were also given precious gifts for their after-lives when they built massive pyramids for themselves. The history of gifting is not a twenty-first-century thing, after all.
2. Know The History
History also speaks of The Greeks and their rituals of gift-giving. Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ highlights that gift-giving played a vital role in ancient Greece. ‘Xenia’, the Greek hospitality speaks aloud of gifting activity even to the strangers. The Greeks also started the tradition of celebrating ‘birth’, which is now a universal form of celebration around the globe. In ancient Greece, people used to gift items of religious significance to ward off evil from the new-born, and in present times, birthday gifts are given as good wishes and to bring joy and happiness to the person celebrating his/her birthday.
3. History of Medieval Times
History of medieval times also speaks of gifting as an allegiance to encourage favors in return from religious and political leaders. To justify gifting for return benefits, different occasions came into existence, of which all religious festivals and New Year day topped the list of occasions.
4. Impact of China
China also has an ancient history of gifting. In China, the New Year’s celebration, also known as Spring Festival, is amongst the biggest celebration which lasts for about 23 days. The Chinese usually wrap their gifts in red paper or cloth because they consider the color as auspicious and associate it with prosperity, thus wrapping also came into existence. So, were you aware of this very history of gifting?
5. Roman Culture
Wedding gifts owe their origin to the Roman culture. In ancient Rome and still prevalent in Italian weddings, there’s was and still is, a tradition where the groom’s scarf or tie is cut into pieces and the guests buy these pieces or exchange them with gifts to be given to the bride and groom to help them start their life together. The guests keep the pieces of scarf/tie as souvenirs.
6. Historical Mention
There is also a historical mention of “potlatch”, a gifting feast practiced for thousands of years by Native Americans. This custom, as referred, is observed on births, deaths, and wedding occasions. This gifting feast concentrates on the giver and not the recipient because here the prestige of the giver is measured by virtue of the gift’s splendor and cost.
7. Post-Christ Period
Coming ahead into the post-Christ period, The Arab World has a long and extravagant history of celebrations and frequent gifting all year round. Arabs are well-known for their hospitality and their gifting tradition is a dominant part of their culture. The Arabs are of the opinion that gifting is an act that connects people together and reflects their generosity and good wishes for others. And they have multiple occasions like marriages, birthdays, newborns, religious occasions including Ramadan and Eid to celebrate and exercise their tradition of gift-giving. The history of gifting has it all.
Final Thoughts
Today, we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, festivals, and a number of occasions by exchanging gifts. Gifting has established itself as an indispensable ritual all across the world. It
is an essential part of our everyday activity and an inherent tool of communicating and connecting with people. Despite the multitude of people and their gifting preferences, the intention of spreading joy and happiness through gifts-giving is uniform. No matter what your faith, language, or race, a gift is bound to bring cheer to every soul.
Furthermore, there is more to the gifting business in the modern age. People, nowadays, are more accustomed to the art of surprise. That is because of the uncertainties and human emotions involved in the very measure. Moreover, gifting has become more personal and intimate.
If you go back into history as we did in the post, there are so many things that humans have realized throughout the course of its development. So, if you are one of the people who are gifting the best-known gifts to your loved ones, look nowhere else than geek monkey. We not only assist you in selecting your best pick but also make sure of one more thing. And, that is to maintain the website’s interface so that it does not delay the selection process. Also, if you want to know more and add more to the entire experience, there’s a surprise. You can order some succulent food from Swiggy and add to the entire thrill. So, what are you waiting for? Add an extra element to the upcoming festival and enjoy the treat.