The Meaning Behind Gift Giving

What is the meaning behind all of the gift giving at Christmas?

The act of giving a gift has been around for....well its been around for forever really.  A gift is meant to be given without the expectation of getting back anything in return.  It is a way to say thank you and show gratitude for kindness, mercy and to express joy.  It was customary in the early times to give gifts to those of royalty and those destined to rule. Much like the wise men that came to find Jesus and brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Biblically, Matthew 2:2 states that the wise men came looking for a king.  So,  it was natural and customary in that time that they would bring Him gifts.

The true story of Santa Claus starts with St. Nicholas who was born during the third century. He was left orphaned at a young age and was obeying the words of Jesus to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor."  There are many stories of how he helped others and left them gifts - many times without people knowing where the gift came from.   So basically, we are emulating the wise men, giving gifts to Christ our King and St. Nicholas who was following the words of Christ to give to others.

Maybe your gifts are to celebrate your own religious holiday and to give thanks and show love in your own faith.  It doesn't matter what faith you practice or why you are giving the gift.  Giving, is giving.

Gift buying and giving seems to be pretty stressful these days.  Is it the right gift?  Will he/she like it?  Does it have value or is it expensive enough?  Once you get to this point......you are missing the point.

Give a gift from the heart.  Give to show appreciation and joy in knowing the other person and letting them know they are important to you.  Give because you love them.  You can't go wrong if you keep these things in mind.  If they are unhappy with the gift, then they are missing the point.

I know, you are thinking, what does this have to do with vintage things, home decor and more......?  I guess its the "more" part.  And,  I don't want people to forget the real reason for giving.

As you go buy presents this year,  keep the real reason for "giving" in mind.

Thanks for reading!

Paula