A Christian holiday celebrates Christ’s birth; Christmas has taken on a secular and religious meaning. When the holiday was first observed, pagan winter solstice celebrations occurred at the same time of year. Because of this, the Christian ceremony borrowed some of these traditions. In the modern era, Christmas is celebrated around the world. Christians still see the holiday as religiously significant. For non-Christians, though, Christmas is a time of giving and family togetherness. Christmas gifts and decoratives reflect this long, complex history.

Christmas gift giving originated out of several traditions around the world. In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas day (January 6) was celebrated by adults giving gifts to children. When Dutch immigrants moved to the United States, the tradition became associated with Christmas. Now, Santa Clause, another name for St. Nicholas gives gifts on Christmas Day. In the Christian tradition, gifts are given because the three wise men first gave gifts to Jesus on his birth.

Decorating for Christmas is a tradition that, similarly, started in Europe. The Christmas tree is largely a German tradition. However, some Roman and Catholic practices brought evergreens and Christmas together before the Germans. The German people would light their trees with candles and eventually decorate it with small ornaments.

Today, Christmas gifts and decoratives are unique to a region and/or tradition. People decorate Christmas trees with ornaments for aesthetic, religious, and holiday reasons. Some choose to decorate their trees with handmade children’s ornaments. Others have luxurious trees with color to match their décor. Still others use a regional Christmas theme to decorate their trees and homes. And for Christmas gifts, the traditions are still varied, with some giving wrapped presents and others simply enjoying time together or religious worship as the ultimate gifts.