
Written and © by Jarno Tarkoma
Christmas gifts
There are many roots of this custom. There is St.Nicholas the
anonymous benefactor, there is the tradition of Magi giving
precious gifts to Jesus, there is the Roman custom of giving gifts
of good luck to children during Saturnalia. The day of gift giving
varies greatly in different Christian cultures and times:
6th December - in memory of St. Nicholas
24th December - Christmas Eve
25th December - Birthday of Jesus
1st of January - the New year
6th of January - The Epiphany, day of the Three Wise men, the Magi
The giver of the presents are many: Jesus himself, Old Father
Christmas, Santa Claus, a Goat, Befana (the female Santa in Italy),
the three Magi, Christmas gnomes, various Saints, the Kolyada (in
Russia), the Joulupukki (in Finland). The oldest Finnish tradition
did not necessarily involve a giver of the presents at all: an
unseen person threw the gifts in from the door and quickly
disappeared.