About Christmas Gifts
Christmas gift giving was rare in Europe and America prior to the 19th century. At that time the gifts tended to be handmade by the giver and were practical, such as mittens or food. The first advertisements for Christmas gifts in the United States were primarily for children's books, but modern gifts tend to be more frivolous, fun or luxurious. One half of the annual sale of diamonds, furs and luxury watches now happen in December. Today many organizations are attempting to promote going back to the giving of more practical gifts. Consider giving a Radko Christmas Ornament, it is a wonderful Christmas Gift Idea. A Radko gift is a collectible which will last for generations. See how to care for your Christopher Radko Christmas Decoration.
What is Christmas and why is it such a big deal?
The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most historians peg the first celebration of Christmas to Rome in 336 A.D.
The Roman's celebrated their god Saturn. The festival was called Saturnalia which began in the middle of December and ended January 1st. With cries of "Jo Saturnalia!" the celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae (lucky fruits). The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles. And the masters and slaves would exchange places.
Christmas is both a holiday and a holy day. In America it is one of the biggest event of the year (especially for kids), and for members of the Christian religions it is an important day on the religious calendar.
There are two reasons why Christmas is such a big deal:
According to the 1994 "Britannica Book of the Year," there are 1.8 billion Christians in a total world population of 5.5 billion, making it the largest religion. In America, 85 percent or 241 million out of a total population of 281 million people are Christians. Because Christians follow in the teachings and examples laid down by Jesus, the birth of Jesus is the most important historical event.
And the second reason is mostly economics. According to Daniel Boorstin in his book "The Americans, "Christmas was largely a non-event in America until the 1860s. In 1867 Macy's department store in New York City remained open until midnight on Christmas Eve for the first time. In 1874 we found the first window displays with a Christmas decoration theme, also at Macy's. It has snowballed from there.
Christmas Ornament Gift | Christmas Decoration | Christopher Ornament Radko
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