Christmas – The History:
The festivities that we enjoy during Christmas are embedded in pagan beliefs and contagions. The truth is, the phenomena of the winter solstice, where the shortest day of the whole year occurs, has always been known to spring up of exceptional interest to people. It symbolizes the mark that signals the start of a new cycle which indicates that the sun is about to break its long hiatus and will be back soon with the promise of future crops. That’s why the 25th December was celebrated as it declared the rebirth of Sol Invictus and Roman Saturnalia. Then again, the Saturnalia was known to last for many days, and people were believed to wear garlands rounding the necks, manifesting festivity and expressing joy and hope for future prosperities.
This piece of origin history can be related to or be seen in the same light as it is described in many languages. Again, in many ancient cultures, this day was projected to be associated with beliefs pertaining to fertility of women, embarking on motherhood, the spread of the family along with the society by reproduction, and in some cultures, it is closely related even with astronomy.
But the truth is the Christians waited until the fourth century to assimilate this pagan festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Many biblical references can be found to symbolize the new solar cycle. In other words, the references actually meant that Christ the "new sun" would be shining on the world. That’s why the celebrations of December 25 are brought together with the Easter cycle.
However, Easter tells us about a preparatory stage – Advent - that stays for 2-4 week. And this phase tells us about the presentation of Jesus at the Temple ending February 2, at Candlemas. In the middle Ages, the midnight mass was started to be celebrated and the evolution of the nativity scene was founded during the Renaissance.
Today, the Christmas festivity makes way for secular and widespread family celebrations. It doesn’t matter if people are atheist or whatever beliefs they may hold true to themselves, Christmas is enjoyed by everyone. And it brings joy to everyone and brings the family closer.
But how Christmas and giving chocolates as gifts becomes synonymous? If you still have the stomach for more history, then please carry on reading.
The Gift-Giving and Christmas
As per popular Christian beliefs, the gift-giving aspect of Christmas seemed to be closely associated with the three wise men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus.
But in truth, giving gifts around the day that marked the beginning of a ‘new’ sun is actually a much older tradition. In many early civilizations, giving gifts around solstice celebrations was said to be a prominent practice. The Romans, as historians point out, took it very seriously and they observed the occasion with exuberance. And as with the passage of time, Christianity garnered widespread followings and the tradition became more popular and people embraced it as a medium for showing love and gratitude for the loved ones.
Another angle of the gift-giving history was also associated with that of St. Nicholas, a fourth-century Greek bishop. And unfortunately, as we see it throughout the history of mankind, many good things turned into something heinous. The same was also true when some early Christian rulers used this beloved and traditional practice simply as a way to oppress the subjects more and they decreed that their subjects would have to provide them with lavish gifts. But this cruel twist also got abandoned as we see in the old-time Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” depicts the magnanimous story of a king who deserted this tradition in favor of giving back.
And for many more coming years, gift-giving holiday splash in December wasn’t happening on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, rather it occurred on December 6, which historically was celebrated as St. Nicholas’ feast day. But that changed as late as in the 19th century and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day became the prominent gift-giving occasion throughout the world.
The Retail Boom
By the 20th century, when the modern civilization started to take shape as we know it now, businessmen from the retailing arena got hold of the business idea to make the big payday of the year by making a mint during December. They started marketing outreach to grab the children’s vulnerability to want something really badly so that the parents couldn't help buying more stuff to make the children happy. And if you fast forward to the present day, Christmas is bigger than ever. The happy holiday sales were about a quarter of a trillion dollars last year and the trajectory is always going upward.
Chocolates Making Their Way
But the problem is, sometimes choosing gifts is difficult, regardless of whether we accept it or not. Very often we simply don’t know what to choose or what would be the best thing for certain people. Anyone who ever participated in the office’s Secret Santa gift exchange will tell you no different.
And that’s how ‘the gift from the Gods’ made into our way of thinking as universal gifts. And slowly but surely we start thinking of chocolates as our go to item for choosing gifts. The truth is you can’t get it messed up by giving chocolates as most people we know love chocolates. It’s enjoyed by most people, not only for the taste itself but also for many health benefits associated with devouring chocolates of the right kind as in handmade premium chocolates that are made with no additives or chemicals. In truth, there is no way of getting it wrong ever, if you opt for handmade premium chocolates, for their distinctive taste, for the physical wellness they can provide, for the delightful packages they are delivered with.
The Ease in Giving Chocolates As Gifts
Gone are the days to go out and stand in the queue to get what we want, the lockdown or the pandemic notwithstanding. Just go to Schokochoclates.com to find out what you want for your loved ones and get it delivered on time anywhere in Australia. And since handmade chocolates are mostly made by highlighting the central ingredient, cocoa that is, they provide us every bit of physical benefits that we can hope for from eating our favorite treat. This little outfit can also help us customize the packaging to suit our taste or to delight the person who gets it as a gift.
Now, get ready for the holidays. And shower and be showered with gifts to and from your loved ones.