Birthday presents and birthday cards are cultural traditions that people have long observed and practiced. But do you know why people receive and give birthday gifts in the first place?
As you can tell by the name, birthdays basically celebrate the day of the birth of a person. It is an occasion held every year that marks the advent of that day.
Believe it or not, though, it wasn’t always the case. In fact, the meanings behind birthdays as well as the reasons why people give gifts have seen significant changes through the years. Read on below to know more about birthdays and birthday gifts.
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Ancient Egypt
It was in ancient Egypt when the first-ever recorded instance of people celebrating their birthdays. But this celebration wasn’t of the day of birth of the person. Instead, it was the day the person was born as a god.
According to the ancient Egyptians, after the Pharaohs were crowned, they turned into gods. This is why they held celebrations to celebrate these days. But based on what is known, the ancient Egyptians didn’t give gifts during these occasions to the Pharaohs.
Greece
It was the Greeks who started the very first practice of giving birthday presents. They adopted the Egyptians’ practice of commemorating a god’s birth. They would also usually offer some sacrifices to the gods on any day or their special days.
One of the tributes offered to the goddess of the moon, Artemis, paved the way for one of the birthday staples that continue to be observed in the modern day, which is the birthday cake. The Greeks baked cakes shaped like the moon, topping them with candles to mimic the glow of the moon.
But it is the Kinderfest, a German tradition that celebrates the birthday of a child, that became the inspiration for the modern version of birthday cakes although it can only be traced back to the late 1700s.
Rome
- The Romans were next. These people were the first ones who celebrated birthdays in the same way everyone knows them today. At first, however, these celebrations were only reserved for people of importance and Emperors.
- The celebrations were later observed even among the commoners. Initially, only the birthdays of the males were celebrated. It took more than a thousand years before women’s birthdays also started to be celebrated.
- The Romans would throw extravagant parties for the person to commemorate the day of their birth complete with plenty of wine and a feast of good food. They would also shower the person, specifically, the emperor, with birthday presents as a token of their allegiance and appreciation.
Other Theories
Presents or gifts have long been given throughout the entire human existence and actually even before this by some members of the animal kingdom, such as penguins and chimpanzees. However, the tradition of giving birthday gifts didn’t begin until much later.
Some people believe that it started among the Persians. A Greek historian observed it and soon brought the practice back home to Greece. The Romans later included this practice of giving gifts during the celebrations of birthdays.
Others also believed that the practice of giving birthday gifts all started with the birth of Jesus Christ, with the Three Wise Men bringing him presents in the form of gold, myrrh, and frankincense. Some people also believe that the tradition of giving presents to people during their birthdays began some hundred years ago in Europe.
According to this theory, the presents were given to people celebrating their birthdays as a form of symbolic tool that wards off all the evil spirits that would have otherwise come to haunt or harm the person who celebrates this special day. The presents would be offered to offer protection to the person celebrating the birth from the said spirits.
The gift-giving practice has had a lot of different meanings throughout history and will probably mean something completely different once again in the next few years. But still, it is enough of a quick lesson on the history of birthday gifts.
Now, you know that giving presents is no longer something new and that the main reasons why people have given or offered gifts in the bygone days have seen a lot of changes through the years. And even to this day, the main reasons why people give gifts continue to change.
Psychology Behind Giving Gifts
Aside from understanding the history of giving gifts, it is also important to look at the meaning of gifts and why gift-giving is a crucial part of all types of relationships. As all of you know, giving gifts plays a role in strengthening and maintaining relationships with people around you.
It is often the reason why giving gifts becomes a task that involves some pressure but is also followed by an amazing sense of reward. Although the nature of giving gifts saw some significant changes through the years and might also vary across different cultures, the main reasons why people love to give gifts have remained the same.
Gift-giving has fascinating psychology that will make you understand how taking part in the practice of birthday presents, whether you are the recipient or even the giver has very rewarding emotional perks. Giving gifts is basically how you express your feelings and emotions, showing the other person how much you appreciate them for being part of your life.
The Bottom Line
It doesn’t matter if you like to receive and give gifts or not, you cannot deny the fact that they play a very important role in society, not just on birthdays. Special holidays, anniversaries, marriages, noteworthy achievements, and even new homeowners are all amazing occasions that call for gifts.
The next time you are looking for birthday presents for a special person in your life, or you are running out of gift ideas, always take time to consider the message you wish to convey through your gift and take things from there. At the end of the day, it is always the thought that matters.
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