How does gift giving relate to the stories of the bible at Christmas?

Folks were exchanging gifts at winter solstice fests long before Christianity. Why stop? If you want to fold it in, there are the gifts the Magi brought the baby Jesus. Gold, because he was a prince of the earth, Frankincense, because he was high priest, and myrrh, because (and this was understood by folks of the middle east back then) he would conquer death (myrrh was used for embalming). Or, if it's Saint Nick, hey, he was left a fortune by his parents, who died early, and he was raised in the monastery by his uncle. In the town of Myra, the legend goes, there were three girls...a poor man had three daughters but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment would have to become prostitutes. Hearing of the poor man's plight, Nicholas decided to help him but being too modest to help the man in public, (or to save the man the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to his house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the man's house.

One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. Another has him throw the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes "of age". Invariably, the third time the father lies in wait, trying to discover the identity of their benefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint, only to have Saint Nicholas say it is not him he should thank, but God alone. In another version, Nicholas learns of the poor man's plan and drops the third bag down the chimney instead; a variant holds that the daughter had washed her stockings that evening and hung them over the embers to dry, and that the bag of gold fell into the stocking.

Of course, these are Stories, not histories. I don't know about you, but for me, gift giving makes me feel as good (if not better) than gift receiving. But random gift giving often creates awkward situations and feelings of inappropriate intimacy or reciprocal obligations. It's nice to have a time of year when the giving of gift is socially sanctioned and freed from most misunderstandings.

Why does it have to be in the Bible to make sense?

The birth of the Savior seems like a reasonable thing to celebrate, yes? So how do you celebrate it? A Christmas meal isn't Biblical either. Does that make it bad? Gift-giving is a cultural and community activity done in many faiths for many celebrations.

Historically, however, Christmas has frequently NOT been a major celebration. Easter is the primary Christian holiday. The stress on the importance of Christmas as well as the stress on gifts occurred in the 19th century. It was a conjunction of increased piety and, ironically, senses of conspicuous consumption.

THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS

It was not until several hundred years after Jesus lived on the earth that people began to commemorate his birth on December 25. But that was not the date of Jesus’ birth, for it evidently took place in October. So why was December 25 chosen? Some who later claimed to be Christian likely “wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun.’” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica) In winter, when the sun seemed weakest, pagans held ceremonies to get this source of warmth and light to come back from its distant travels. December 25 was thought to be the day that the sun began its return. In an effort to convert pagans, religious leaders adopted this festival and tried to make it seem “Christian.”

The pagan roots of Christmas have long been recognized. Because of its unscriptural origin, Christmas was banned in England and in some of the American colonies during the 17th century. Anyone who even stayed home from work on Christmas day had to pay a penalty. Soon, though, the old customs were back, and some new ones were added. Christmas once again became a big holiday, and that is what it still is in many lands. Because of the connections that Christmas has with false religion, however, those who want to please God do not celebrate it or any other holiday that has its roots in pagan worship.

Some time after the custom of exchanging gifts came to be associated with Christmas as well as the older festival it usurped, some cleric invented the story that gift giving was Christian in that it was a reminder of the gifts the magi brought to Jesus.

A combination of:

- Saint Nicholas (nothing to do with the Nativity)

- The Wise Men that came bearing gifts

- Pagan practises in England before Christianity got here, so that Christianity could essentially 'slip under the radar'.

Money and bible stories are both printed on paper . Money is worth something though .

As for Saint Nicolas he was invented by the Greek Orthodox church to establish credibility . just like Jesus he doesn't show up in any verifiable historical record . Presents a bit of a pattern doesn't it ?

Jesus is the greatest gift that mankind will ever receive Kellie your right, but remember the three wise men that came to visit the baby Jesus? They brought him gifts that were symbolic to honor his birth/arrival. Gift giving is wonderful I mean it is a birthday we are celebrating right? :)

Christians believe it was because the 3 wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus when he was born.

The materialistic culture we live in drives the precedent of the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus to maximum financial advantage.

This day called "Christmas" has NOTHING to do with the Bible. Find me a verse in scripture which tells us to celebrate this day? Jesus wasn't even born on December 25th. What makes me sick is that were told to live by the Word of God, and I see Christians putting up trees and handing out gifts. How hypocritical is that?