The History of Christmas Gifts Worksheet Download

Do you love to tear open a shiny present? Christmas gifts have a story that is very, very old. Christians tell of Wise Men who brought gold to baby Jesus.

Gold pops up in another old story, too. Saint Nicholas was a church leader, or bishop, in what is now Turkey. Stories say he gave gold to poor families in secret.

In the 1800s, giving grew into a happy family day. Toy shops filled up with dolls, trains, and games for children. Your gift today joins a story that began long ago with gold!

Wow, did you know one famous gift story includes gold and two treasures that smell like perfume? Christians celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus, and the Bible says Wise Men brought him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The last two come from tree sap, the sticky juice inside trees.

Those Wise Men honored a special baby, but Saint Nicholas became known for giving in secret. He lived about 1,700 years ago in a town in what is now Turkey. Stories say he helped families in need and left gifts quietly.

Nicholas kept his gifts secret, but in the 1800s, when Queen Victoria ruled Britain, families opened presents together at home. Toy shops filled their windows with dolls, toy trains, and books. Families wrapped presents in paper and tied them with ribbon.

Unwrapping is a thrill, but many people also think of neighbors in need. A toy drive is one way to help, because people collect new toys to share. So a story that began with gold and tree sap keeps growing, one kind gift at a time.

Imagine you are a child on Christmas morning, tiptoeing toward a tree covered in twinkling lights. Under it, boxes in shiny paper and curly ribbon are waiting! Why do people give gifts at Christmas? The custom is very old, and it began with stories told long, long ago.

Those stories begin with gifts that traveled a long way. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and the Bible tells of Wise Men who brought him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Frankincense and myrrh are sweet-smelling resins, or dried tree sap, used in perfume and incense. Hundreds of years later, a kind man named Nicholas, from the town of Myra in what is now Turkey, became known for giving in secret.

Nicholas's secret giving was still remembered in the 1800s, when gifts got a big, bright makeover. Queen Victoria ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901, and in her time Christmas became a day of family presents. Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, helped people picture a warm, generous holiday. Factories were making more goods, so toy shops filled with dolls, tin trains, and wooden horses.

With toy shops so full, families wanted presents to be surprises, so paper and ribbon became part of the fun. Christmas is also a time for helping others, and many people give food, coats, or toys to families in need. Giving in secret is still a favorite idea, and Nicholas's story is more than 1,600 years old!

Picture Windsor Castle in England, December 1848, where Queen Victoria's family gathers around a glittering Christmas tree. Candles flicker on its branches, sweets dangle from them, and gifts wait nearby. A magazine printed a picture of this cozy scene, and readers loved it! Soon families in Britain and America wanted a tree and presents just like it.

Those presents have some very old relatives, though. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and the Christmas story tells of Wise Men who followed a star to bring him gifts. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh; the last two are sweet-smelling resins, or hardened tree sap. Tree sap as a present? In ancient times it was treasured for incense and perfume.

Another giver from long ago is remembered for gifts nobody was meant to know about. Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myra, in what is now Turkey, about 1,700 years ago. One old story says he secretly left gold coins for a poor family, so people began giving in secret. In the Netherlands, children still set out shoes for Saint Nicholas Day, December 6, hoping for treats!

Shoes full of treats were small surprises, but by the 1800s Christmas gifts were growing bigger. In the Victorian era, when Queen Victoria ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901, factories made toys faster and cheaper. Shop windows filled with dolls and tin toys, and in 1843 Henry Cole helped launch the first Christmas cards sold in stores. Patterned wrapping paper came along later, in the early 1900s.

Once the paper came off, people also thought about sharing. Also in 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a story about a man who learns to be generous. Today, Toys for Tots, begun by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1947, collects toys for children in need. Whether it is gold left in secret 1,700 years ago or a toy collected today, giving to others is the heart of the tradition.

Here is a puzzle: why do we wrap boxes in shiny paper and wait for one special morning to open them? The answer is a treasure hunt that leads through an ancient star, a kind bishop, and a busy queen. Picture ribbons curling, paper crackling, and a pile of presents glowing beside twinkling lights. Every one of those gifts belongs to a tradition that took many centuries to build!

To find the oldest clue on that centuries-long road, travel to the Christmas story, which Christians tell to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew, visitors from the east follow a bright star and bring Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Frankincense and myrrh are sweet-smelling resins, a kind of dried tree sap that was once prized like treasure. Matthew never says how many visitors came, but with three gifts, people long pictured three Wise Men.

The Wise Men gave openly, but another famous giver became known for hiding his kindness. Nicholas was a church leader in Myra, a town in what is now Turkey, in the 300s. One old story says he tossed bags of gold through a window at night to help a poor family. Because people kept telling stories of his kindness, his feast day, December 6, became a day for small gifts in parts of Europe.

Small gifts on a saint's day are far from a mountain of presents, and that leap happened in the 1800s, when Queen Victoria ruled Britain. Christmas became a cozy family day, and in 1843 Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a story about kindness. Factories could make toys faster, so shop windows filled with dolls, tin soldiers, and wooden trains. That same year, Henry Cole sold one of the first Christmas cards in a London shop.

Cards and toys were a joyful way to share, and Dickens's story also reminded readers to think of neighbors who had less. In 1891, a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco set out a pot to collect coins for Christmas dinners for people in need. Today, families still fill donation boxes with toys, coats, and food for others. So when you spot a wrapped box, remember that its story stretches back more than 1,600 years, to a bishop who gave in secret.

Picture a living room on Christmas morning, with ribbons curling, paper crackling, and a mountain of boxes glowing beside the tree. You might guess that piles of presents have always been the heart of the holiday. Think again, because that picture is actually quite young! For many families in past times, a Christmas gift could be as small as an orange or a handful of nuts. So how did a simple act of kindness grow into the sparkling tradition we know today?

To find out, we have to journey back to a tale of travelers bringing gifts from far away, long before toy stores existed. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and the Gospel of Matthew tells of Wise Men, called magi, who followed a star and offered him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Frankincense and myrrh are sweet-smelling resins, hardened drops of sap from trees, and in ancient times they were treasured almost like jewels. The Bible does not say how many Wise Men there were; the tradition of three probably grew from the three gifts. Many people see these gifts as an early model for Christmas giving, proof that a present can carry meaning as well as value.

Gold shows up in another old story, too, this one about a kind bishop named Nicholas. Nicholas lived in the 300s in Myra, a town in what is now Turkey, and people began telling tales of his generosity. In one well-known tale, he secretly left bags of gold for a family in need, so no one could thank him. After his death he became Saint Nicholas, and his feast day, December 6, grew into a time for small gifts in parts of Europe. Stories like his suggest that the finest giving may be done quietly, without a name on the tag.

Secret giving still had its place, but the 1800s, when Queen Victoria ruled Britain, turned gift-giving into an open, joyful family celebration. Factories could make toys and books more cheaply than before, so shop windows glittered with dolls, tin toys, and picture books. In 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a story that made kindness and generosity a big part of how many people pictured the season. Even wrapping got fancy: according to Hallmark's company history, in 1917 a Kansas City store owned by the Hall brothers ran out of plain tissue paper and sold decorated envelope linings instead, and shoppers loved them.

Wrapping paper is torn off in seconds, but the idea inside the package has lasted far longer. In my view, the best part of this history is that giving has always reached beyond the family circle. Today, programs such as Toys for Tots, started by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1947, collect new toys so children in need have something to open. Whether it is a bag of gold from an old legend or a toy tucked into a donation box, a gift still says the same thing: someone was thinking of you.

Here's a puzzle: the stories behind Christmas gifts are nearly 2,000 years old, yet the wrapping paper you rip off them is only about a century old! Picture the rustle of paper, the snap of ribbon, and a pile of packages under a tree, then ask how a custom traveled from ancient treasure chests to that very scene. The answer is a journey through saints, settlers, storytellers, and shopkeepers. Follow its trail and you will see how people and ideas can turn one simple act, giving, into a celebration enjoyed around the world.

To find the start of the trail, go back to the treasure chests in the Christmas story, before anyone dreamed of wrapping paper. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, and the Gospel of Matthew tells of wise men from the east who brought him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Frankincense and myrrh are sticky tree resins that were burned as incense or made into perfume, and in the ancient world they were highly valued. The Bible never says how many wise men there were; many historians think the tradition of three grew from the three gifts. In many Spanish-speaking countries, Three Kings Day on January 6 is its own celebration, and children traditionally receive presents then.

Presents on Three Kings Day honor the wise men, but another giver from history is remembered on December 6: Saint Nicholas. He was a bishop in Myra, in what is now Turkey, in the 300s, and legend says he secretly left gold for a poor father's three daughters, wanting no thanks. As the tale traveled across Europe, each region added its own touches; in the Netherlands, children set out shoes hoping to find small treats from Sinterklaas. Dutch settlers carried the custom to New York, and historians think the English name Santa Claus grew out of the name Sinterklaas.

Those set-out shoes were a small beginning, because in the 1800s Britain's Victorians turned Christmas into a day built around family and presents. Queen Victoria ruled from 1837 to 1901, and in 1848 a newspaper picture of her family around a decorated tree helped make Christmas trees fashionable. In 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a story that pictured Christmas as a time of family feasts and generosity. That same year, Henry Cole, a London civil servant, ordered one of the first commercial Christmas cards, showing how quickly new ideas could spread by mail.

Once families wanted presents under those trees, shopkeepers and factories were ready to help. Factories could make toys such as tin animals and dolls faster and more cheaply than small workshops, and stores began filling their windows for the holiday season. Wrapping, however, stayed plain for a long time, with many gifts tied up in ordinary tissue or brown paper. Then, in 1917, brothers Joyce and Rollie Hall ran out of tissue paper at their Kansas City store and sold fancy paper made for lining envelopes instead. Shoppers snapped it up, and a new tradition was on its way.

Wrapping paper hides a present, but some of the most meaningful Christmas giving was never meant for a family tree. Dickens's story follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a stingy man who learns to share with people in need. In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee in San Francisco set out a pot to collect money for a Christmas dinner for hungry people, an idea that grew into the red kettles seen today. Wrapping paper may be only about a century old, but the idea folded inside every package, giving something to brighten another person's day, is far older.

In December 1843, a London writer named Charles Dickens published a slim book about a grumpy man who learns the joy of giving, and its first printing sold out within days. Dickens was writing into a holiday that was changing right before his readers' eyes. Today you know the scene: paper torn open, ribbon piling up, and someone shaking a box to guess what rattles inside. Where did this custom come from? Historians say it has no single starting point; instead, several older traditions, each with its own story, braided together over about two thousand years.

Follow the oldest strand of that braid and you reach the Gospel of Matthew, which tells how Magi, or Wise Men, from the East brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and for many, the Magi's visit has long been a picture of giving as a way to honor someone. Here is a surprise: Matthew never says how many Magi there were, and the popular idea of three visitors probably grew from counting the three gifts. In many Spanish-speaking countries, children receive presents on Three Kings Day, January 6, a celebration of its own that centers on the Magi's arrival.

Three Kings Day falls in January, but an older midwinter gift custom belonged to December: the Roman festival of Saturnalia. During Saturnalia, Romans held feasts and swapped small presents such as candles and little clay figurines. Some writers claim that Saturnalia gave us Christmas gifts, but historians urge caution. Roman presents were inexpensive tokens shared among friends, and the earliest clear records of Christians celebrating Christmas on December 25 in Rome come from the 300s, so proof of a direct line is missing. A careful reader would say the evidence shows a similarity rather than a proven connection: it tells us that people loved midwinter gifts long before Christmas presents existed as we know them.

The 300s also gave the tradition a person: Nicholas, a bishop who served in Myra, in what is now Turkey. According to a well-known legend, he secretly delivered gold to a poor man with three daughters, so the family could afford their weddings. Historians cannot confirm the details of the legend, but people kept telling it for centuries, and Nicholas became a patron saint of children. His feast day is December 6, and in the Netherlands the tradition of Sinterklaas brings gifts and sweets around December 5 and 6. Notice that secrecy matters as much as the gold: giving without waiting for thanks became part of the ideal that the stories teach.

Secret giving never disappeared, but in the 1800s the spotlight moved to the family living room, thanks largely to the Victorians. Queen Victoria ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901, and in 1848 a magazine picture of her family gathered around a decorated tree helped make that scene fashionable. Meanwhile, factories and railways brought cheaper goods to growing towns, and toy shops began filling their windows every December. Wrapping came later; according to the company Hallmark, in 1917 its founders' Kansas City store ran out of tissue paper and sold fancy French envelope-lining paper instead, and it sold quickly.

Fancy paper was still in the future, but Victorian writers like Dickens were asking an old question: who gets left out of the celebration? In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge's change of heart shows generosity toward people in need, and the story helped make charity part of the season. In 1891 in San Francisco, a Salvation Army captain named Joseph McFee set out a pot on the street to collect money for a Christmas dinner for people in need; red kettle collections later spread to many countries. Britain's Boxing Day, December 26, has more than one proposed explanation: some historians point to boxes of gifts for servants and tradespeople, while others point to church boxes opened to help the poor. So a custom that looks as simple as a ribbon is really a braid of many strands, from a bishop's secret gold to a kettle on a San Francisco street, and the shiny wrapping around it is only just over a century old.