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The History of Giving Gifts

The giving of gifts has symbolic meaning in all cultures across the globe for as long as mankind has existed. From the first time a father gave his child a carved doll to the sharing of a harvest feast, gift giving symbolizes many things: love, respect, sympathy, flattery, gratitude and appreciation.

 

GIFT GIVING IN HISTORY

Ancient Greek mythology gives credit to the goddess of love, Aphrodite, as the original bearer of the classic gift of love, a rose, to Eros, the god of love.

Such symbolism has pervaded the giving of flowers as gifts for centuries and although the symbolic meaning of many flowers is lost the act of giving flowers has never waned.

Another famous bearer of gifts was the Queen of Sheba who notably gave the richest king of his time, King Solomon, a lavish gift of gold, balsam oil and precious stones in exchange for his wisdom.

Elaborate gifts as tokens of political friendship are not exclusively an ancient custom. The United States of America has one of the most iconic gifts of international friendship as the symbol of their pride of freedom. The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from France in 1886.

THE GIFT GIVING CULTURE

Gift giving has often been associated in Western culture with the celebration of events or holidays. While giving social gifts has gained popularity in recent years it does not compare to the gift giving culture of Japan.

Japanese people are well known for their graciousness and this extends to the common act of gift giving. In Japan the presentation of a gift is as of much importance as the gift itself. Showing respect to the receiver, even small tokens are often wrapped with great care and attention. Accepting gifts is an act of extreme appreciation on the part of the receiver and humility from the giver, presented and accepted in both hands.

While gift giving is common to most cultures, the act of giving gifts can be quite different from one place to another. Many business people are advised on the appropriateness of giving gifts when doing business in foreign countries since the act of giving gifts is often closely tied to the traditions and cultures of different people worldwide.

The Holiday Season is now upon us and for many this includes the celebrations of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Yule, New Year, Chinese New Yearall the way up to Valentines Day in February next year.

Holiday Greetings and Best Wishes for a New Year of Happiness in a world of peace.

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