Do you ever remember Father Christmas placing a gift by your bedside on Christmas Eve? How about the routine chocolates that your parents gave you as a Christmas gift? When younger, kids expect atleast a new dress for Christmas. Even the poorest family can’t miss out on buying a gift for their beloved ones. Christmas gifts have been a tradition to all generations. Unlike other festive seasons, Christmas and gifts are so inseparable. So why are Christmas gifts a routine? What’s the origin of Christmas gifts? Little Noel has always wondered whether baby Jesus also went door to door offering gifts to neighbors inorder to celebrate his birthday. Well Jesus never gave out gifts as a baby but he received gifts which marked the beginning of gift giving as part of Christmas celebrations.2009 years ago, when Jesus Christ was born in the small town of Bethlehem, 3 Kings of Orient traveled to Visit the newborn. The 3 Kings honored Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh. As the centuries passed by, gold, frankincense and myrrh became traditional symbols to remember those early Christmas Gifts to Jesus. According to the prophecy of the Star of Bethlehem, gold symbolized kingship on earth, frankincense was the symbol of divine authority, and myrrh symbolizing death. The Three Kings of Orient also became a symbol of kindness known by different names in different cultures and nations.Some call them Kings of Orient; others call them 3 Wise Men while others call them Kings from the East. The history is unclear about the name of the Wise Men, but during the 8th century, it was declared that their official names were Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar. They were formerly Zoroastrian astrologers from Ancient Persia who traveled from the east of Jerusalem to honor the King of the Jews guided by the Star of Bethlehem. Even though, no there was no chocolate or Christmas cards among the gifts from the Wise men, three of those gifts are associated to our modern Christmas gifts. Why were those three gifts the most meaningful? Although there are many versions of the origin and meaning of such presents, the popular theory explains that those were the common presents that a king should receive. And as we celebrate the Christmas season, people always treasure beloved ones with precious gifts a King should receive. Gifts honour and keep fresh memories about the three wise men who rushed amidst all challenges to worship and give baby Jesus gifts. Finest Chocolates are made, shaped with figures resembling the way the Orient king’s might have looked. If the World’s Finest Chocolates would have been available at this time, these three wise men would give them to Jesus as a gift but the tradition was just about to be written. lillianean@yahoo.com
