As I was dancing to the joyful Christmas music in the stores yesterday, I started to wonder how the tradition of gift giving began. With the mad rush, sense of obligation, and sometimes confusion on what to get people, I wanted to know what could be a deeper way to experience the exchange of gifts. The exchange also includes the receiver and what they can do to add to the experience for everyone.
Growing up as a Jew, I decided to look online to do more research on the history of Christmas gifts. The story is that when Jesus was born the Three Wise Men brought him gifts of Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh. According to one website:
Frankincense was a perfume used in Jewish worship, and, as a gift, it showed that people would worship Jesus.
Gold was associated with Kings, and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of Kings.
Myrrh was a perfume that was put on dead bodies to make them smell nice, and, as a gift, it showed that Jesus would suffer and die.
Thus the first Christmas gifts were...
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