December 5, 2011
They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and gave them to him (Matthew 2:11).
Christmas gift-giving has had an uneven history. In ancient Rome, gifts were exchanged on New Year’s Day. The giving of Christmas gifts to express kindness began during the Victorian era in England. Cobweb Parties were also popular at that time: families were assigned a specific color of yarn. They followed the yarn across a room, crisscrossed with other colors, to reach their present. Another tradition was the game of Christmas pie. Tiny presents were hidden in a large bowl of grain. A person dipped a ladle into the bowl and kept whatever gift came up on their spoon. Children today often judge a “good” Christmas by how many gifts they receive. Parents today complain that commercialism puts more attention on getting than giving.
During this Advent/Christmas season, we will have many opportunities to be generous. The joy of giving freely without expectations of a reward or gain can cut through the clutter of today’s consumer-driven society.
It seems to me that giving is something we all must learn again and again. This is why the journey to a spirit of joyful giving takes years of practice. Maybe instead of making Wish Lists of gifts we want for Christmas, we could make Giving Lists. I encourage you to write down the name of the people, projects or programs you and your families will give time, talents, and resources to this coming year. Better yet, make it a family activity.
Gifts do communicate how someone feels about us. The gift we all received in Jesus at that very first Christmas tells us much about God’s feelings for us. God loves us. A wrapped box hanging on my Christmas tree reminds me of God’s priceless gift and the eternal and abundant life we all have because of God’s generosity. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. . . And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6).
Wishing you and yours a blessed Advent and a very Merry Christmas,
