The giving of gifts is a custom with a
long history and many faces. From the Ancient Romans, came the practice
of distributing gifts of good luck to children during Saturnalia.
The Bible tells of the Magi bestowing gifts upon the Baby Jesus who
himself was seen as the giver of hope and life to all. Our
more modern day stories of Father Christmas and Santa Claus are closely
related to the older tale of St. Nicholas, the anonymous benefactor, giving
presents to all good children. Other characters of generosity are
present in cultures around the world, and include Befana - Santa's female
counterpart in Italy, Christmas gnomes, various Saints, the Kolyada from
Russia and the Joulupukki, who comes from
Finland. This latter tradition,
did not necessarily involve a presenter of a gift - rather, an individual
threw gifts in from the door and made a hasty, unseen retreat, leaving
the recipient to enjoy their good fortune.
The day of gift giving varies greatly in different Christian cultures and times:
6th December - In memory of St. Nicholas
24th December - Christmas Eve
25th December - Birthday of Jesus
1st of January - The New year
6th of January - The Epiphany which commemorates the day of the Three
Wise men (the Magi)