The gifts we bring

Catherine Henderson offers inspiration for gifts to give

by Catherine Henderson 21st December 2018

‘We three Kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar’

- John Henry Hopkins

Giving presents at Christmas time is a tradition dating back long before the birth of Jesus. In Ancient Rome people gave each other gifts on 23 December as part of Saturnalia, a week-long festival with lots of partying in honour of the god Saturn. As Christianity gradually spread through the Roman empire, the giving of presents became associated with the Magi bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, and with a fourth-century bishop, saint Nicholas – Santa Claus – who gave gifts to the poor.