Christians first celebrated Christmas as the birthday of the infant Jesus in ancient Rome on the 25th of December AD 336. Although this took place a very long time ago, the tradition of gift-giving is far older. It may have been practised as early as the end of the Stone Age—long before the Roman festival of Saturnalia.
Among the many theories surrounding Stonehenge, built during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages in present-day Wiltshire, England, is the idea that people gathered there at the winter solstice to exchange gifts, marking the end of one year and the beginning of another. Supporting this theory is the discovery of more than 38,000 animal bones near Durrington Walls, slaughtered around midwinter. Historian Andrew Hann, writing on the English Heritage website, notes that many of these bones still had meat on them when discarded—suggesting that food was plentiful at the time. At the same time, food also served as a valuable means of maintaining friendly relations and building trust between different groups.
Why do we kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas?
The ancient Celts of the Iron Age also observed gift-giving traditions. At the beginning of each year, Druids distributed sprigs of their sacred plant—white mistletoe—wishing their people good fortune for the coming year. Mistletoe was used in healing, religious worship, and magical rituals, and only Druids were permitted to harvest it, following a strict ritual carried out on the night of the winter solstice.
Mistletoe has not disappeared from modern Christmas traditions. Kissing beneath it is believed to bring prosperity, peace, and fertility. This custom originates in Scandinavian mythology, where mistletoe was associated with the love goddess Freyja, symbolising life, love, fertility, and peace. The ancient Greeks, too, attributed mystical and magical properties to mistletoe. But let us return to gifts.
Gifts during the Roman Saturnalia
The Romans embraced gift-giving through Saturnalia, celebrated from 17 to 23 December and first observed in 497 BC. These festivities involved sacrifices, feasting, exchanging gifts, and a temporary suspension of social hierarchies. Gambling was permitted, work was set aside, and masters served their slaves.
People exchanged humorous gifts or small figurines made of wax or clay. These were inexpensive items, primarily symbolising respect rather than material value. Gift exchanges were mostly among men, though women and children were also allowed to participate.
When Christianity spread throughout the Roman world and Saturnalia faded into history, the tradition of gift-giving endured. It aligned perfectly with the biblical story of the Three Wise Men, who on Epiphany—6 January—presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus.
Medieval feasting instead of gifts
In the Middle Ages, Christmas was marked by lavish feasts and abundant light, but not by the exchange of gifts, explains Toomas Abiline, chief curator of the Tallinn City Museum, in an interview with Estonia’s ETV channel. So what took the place of gifts?
“Primarily, people were treated to expensive wine,” Abiline explains. Members of the Brotherhood of Blackheads gifted costly wines and delicacies to Great Guild merchants and city councillors. In other words, the gift was mainly edible.
Meanwhile, English monarchs—from Henry III in the 13th century until Oliver Cromwell in the mid-17th century—used New Year’s gift traditions to receive valuable items from their subjects. This practice was especially common during the Tudor period, when monarchs were presented with gold and silver objects, handwritten books, and other treasures.
Ordinary people also exchanged New Year’s gifts, typically gloves, oranges, and cloves—the latter two possibly symbolising gold and exotic spices given to Jesus by the Wise Men.
While New Year’s gift-giving was largely an adult affair, Saint Nicholas Day was dedicated to children, as Nicholas was their patron saint. From him comes the tradition of hanging stockings near the Christmas tree to be filled with gifts.
The influence of the Victorian Era
The reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901) marked an entire era in British history, including the evolution of Christmas gift-giving. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arranged gifts for one another and their children on decorated tables at Windsor Castle each year. After Prince Albert’s death, Victoria continued this tradition at Osborne House.
Another Victorian innovation was the Christmas card, which soon gained widespread popularity. Around the same time, wrapping gifts in colourful, patterned paper became fashionable. Prior to that, brown paper or thin coloured paper was used, and for much of the 19th century gifts were presented unwrapped.
Placing gifts beneath the Christmas tree also dates back to the Victorian era. What has changed, however, is the nature of the gifts themselves. Once they were simple tokens—handmade jewellery, sweets, nuts, and fruit. Over time, gift-giving has evolved into a full-blown consumer ritual, with many succumbing to pre-holiday shopping frenzies.
Yet Christmas without the exchange of gifts—and the special sense of warmth and joy it brings—is almost impossible to imagine.
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