Every child has heard their parents or grandparents say that in their day, all they got for Christmas was an orange! Today, the price of gifts has changed, but the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas time is quite old. But it wasn't always Santa Claus who brought them down the chimney!
Giving toys dates back to ancient times, to ancient Greece to be precise, as far back as the 5th century BC. These gifts were distributed to children at the end of the year, which was then in February, for the feasts of Dionysus and Zeus. According to mythology, the gods themselves had received toys when they were children, so it was a question of paying tribute to them. In Rome, presents were given on a special day in December, the Saturnalia.
The emergence of Christianity and the Christmas holiday did not see the birth of this tradition of giving gifts to children, since it was then a question of sacredness rather than amusement. It wasn't until the Renaissance that youngsters took on a more prominent role, with the December feasts of Saint Nicholas and the Holy Innocents. In the 16th century, people from outside the family began to give gifts to children.
The family feast was born in this century, with the arrival of a donor who gave gifts to reward the children. In the first half of the 16th century, Saint Nicholas brought toys and sweets, arriving by the chimney, on which shoes were hung. The Christmas rituals that still exist today began to take shape. At the same time, others set up the baby Jesus as the giver, even as the holiday slowly became less and less religious. Indeed, it was in 1570 that the Strasbourg Christmas Market was created. Decorative Christmas trees became the norm.
For the next two centuries, Christmas gifts were given to children at the beginning of January. In Paris, little cottages, similar to today's chalets, offered toys and sweets to the youngest on the sidewalks. The toy trade took off in the 18th century with specialized stores for children. This period also saw the emergence of other gift-giving figures, such as the Three Wise Men in Italy, Santa Claus in France and the Weihnachtsmann in Germany. The red-clad, jolly, chubby man with the white beard quickly became a common sight throughout Europe, in line with changes in society, the role of children and the toy market.
In the 1880s, department stores created their Christmas windows as we know them today, and the myth of Santa Claus began to play an essential role inchildren's imaginations at this time of year. In just a few centuries, Christmas has gone from being an essentially religious holiday to one where gifts, family and children are at the heart of the celebration.
Happy holidays to all, and if you've forgotten the presents, take a look at our last-minute ideas!
