CLICK HERE TO WATCH BRAND NEW MONKEY TAILS
FEEL FREE TO SEND AN EMAIL OR GO ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE OR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND WRITE ME ABOUT THE G.L.A.D. PUPPETS SHOWS OR PRACTICE. JUST CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, OR EMAIL BUTTONS BELOW FOR ANY SHOWS OR MORE INFO ABOUT WHAT WE DO.
|
The One Thing Everyone Gets Wrong About Christmas |
One of the most common assumptions about Christmas, is that the tradition of giving presents at Christmas comes from the wise men presenting gifts. It makes sense on the surface. After all, the Bible tells us that the wise men
(or Magi) brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:11).
But while this account is often connected to our modern gift-giving customs, the origins of exchanging
presents at Christmas actually predate Christianity itself.
To understand where this tradition truly comes from, we need to look back to ancient Rome.
Long before Christmas existed, the Romans celebrated a festival called Saturnalia.
Held in December, this festival honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and was a time of feasting, merrymaking, and yes—giving gifts. However, the practice wasn’t always so generous or voluntary.
During Saturnalia, the Roman emperors often compelled their citizens, particularly those of lower status,
to bring offerings and gifts as a way to demonstrate loyalty. Later, as Saturnalia became more popular,
the practice expanded into the general population, where it took on a more lighthearted form of
exchanging small presents like candles, figurines, and sweets.
But the tradition didn’t stop there. Following Saturnalia was Kalends, celebrated at the start of January
to mark the Roman New Year. During Kalends, it was common to give gifts symbolizing good fortune
for the year ahead, such as coins or tokens.
So how did these pre-Christian Roman customs evolve into the Christmas gift-giving we know today?
As Christianity spread, the early Catholic Church often sought to “Christianize” existing pagan traditions.
Instead of abolishing festivals like Saturnalia and Kalends—which were deeply embedded in Roman society--
the Church re-framed them with a Christian meaning. Gift-giving, for example, was re-rooted in the
story of Saint Nicholas, a beloved figure known for his generosity and kindness.
Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop in what is now modern-day Turkey, was famous for his habit of
giving gifts to the poor, particularly children. Over time, stories of his deeds grew into legends,
and he became the inspiration for the modern Santa Claus. The Church embraced this charitable example
and aligned it with the Christmas season, reinforcing the idea that giving gifts was a way to reflect God’s ultimate gift to humanity—Jesus Christ.
Interestingly, the wise men’s gifts, while significant, were never portrayed in Scripture as a model for
annual gift-giving. Their offerings were unique and symbolic: gold for Christ as King, frankincense
for His priestly role, and myrrh foreshadowing His death. The connection between the Magi and
our modern gift exchanges is more of a later interpretation than a biblical directive.
So, while the story of the wise men has deep spiritual meaning, it’s not the root of the Christmas gift-giving tradition. Instead, what we have today is a blend of ancient Roman customs, Christian re-framing,
and the influence of Saint Nicholas.
This leaves us with a valuable question: what do we hope to convey when we give gifts at Christmas?
Whether inspired by historical traditions or Christian generosity, it can be an opportunity to reflect love,
gratitude, and kindness—the very qualities that Jesus’ birth represents.
(or Magi) brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:11).
But while this account is often connected to our modern gift-giving customs, the origins of exchanging
presents at Christmas actually predate Christianity itself.
To understand where this tradition truly comes from, we need to look back to ancient Rome.
Long before Christmas existed, the Romans celebrated a festival called Saturnalia.
Held in December, this festival honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and was a time of feasting, merrymaking, and yes—giving gifts. However, the practice wasn’t always so generous or voluntary.
During Saturnalia, the Roman emperors often compelled their citizens, particularly those of lower status,
to bring offerings and gifts as a way to demonstrate loyalty. Later, as Saturnalia became more popular,
the practice expanded into the general population, where it took on a more lighthearted form of
exchanging small presents like candles, figurines, and sweets.
But the tradition didn’t stop there. Following Saturnalia was Kalends, celebrated at the start of January
to mark the Roman New Year. During Kalends, it was common to give gifts symbolizing good fortune
for the year ahead, such as coins or tokens.
So how did these pre-Christian Roman customs evolve into the Christmas gift-giving we know today?
As Christianity spread, the early Catholic Church often sought to “Christianize” existing pagan traditions.
Instead of abolishing festivals like Saturnalia and Kalends—which were deeply embedded in Roman society--
the Church re-framed them with a Christian meaning. Gift-giving, for example, was re-rooted in the
story of Saint Nicholas, a beloved figure known for his generosity and kindness.
Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop in what is now modern-day Turkey, was famous for his habit of
giving gifts to the poor, particularly children. Over time, stories of his deeds grew into legends,
and he became the inspiration for the modern Santa Claus. The Church embraced this charitable example
and aligned it with the Christmas season, reinforcing the idea that giving gifts was a way to reflect God’s ultimate gift to humanity—Jesus Christ.
Interestingly, the wise men’s gifts, while significant, were never portrayed in Scripture as a model for
annual gift-giving. Their offerings were unique and symbolic: gold for Christ as King, frankincense
for His priestly role, and myrrh foreshadowing His death. The connection between the Magi and
our modern gift exchanges is more of a later interpretation than a biblical directive.
So, while the story of the wise men has deep spiritual meaning, it’s not the root of the Christmas gift-giving tradition. Instead, what we have today is a blend of ancient Roman customs, Christian re-framing,
and the influence of Saint Nicholas.
This leaves us with a valuable question: what do we hope to convey when we give gifts at Christmas?
Whether inspired by historical traditions or Christian generosity, it can be an opportunity to reflect love,
gratitude, and kindness—the very qualities that Jesus’ birth represents.
ABOUT G.L.A.D PUPPETS
Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."
This is G.L.A.D's motto. This was what G.L.A.D. was built on by four people years ago. Today this is still our motto and we are a ministry that goes where ever God sends us. We are a nonprofit and nondenominational ministry that uses puppetry to show Gods love.
ABOUT G.L.A.D
My name Is Vickie Niknejadi I’m the Director and founder of G.L.A.D. G.L.A.D. stands for Gods Little Awesome Disciples. We have been so blessed to serve God so long. We use our hands to teach about the love of Jesus in a very unique way. We perform all kinds of puppet shows, like black light, stories and skits. We serve all God’s children, We have performed at day care centers, nursing homes, churches, car shows, bible schools and any where God sends us. We have been so blessed with going to different places and performing all the shows that we have because we are not funded by any one church, we do all of Gods work through donations and also volunteering of all of our puppet team members that have joined us to spread the word of God.
We also do a lot of mission work and we have helped others to start puppet ministries too. We do all kinds of workshops. Our mission work has been with the Lakota Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.
If you would be interested in information about a show or a donation or joining our ministry
please contact me at 636 461 0416 or Cell: 314 409 2697.
This is G.L.A.D's motto. This was what G.L.A.D. was built on by four people years ago. Today this is still our motto and we are a ministry that goes where ever God sends us. We are a nonprofit and nondenominational ministry that uses puppetry to show Gods love.
ABOUT G.L.A.D
My name Is Vickie Niknejadi I’m the Director and founder of G.L.A.D. G.L.A.D. stands for Gods Little Awesome Disciples. We have been so blessed to serve God so long. We use our hands to teach about the love of Jesus in a very unique way. We perform all kinds of puppet shows, like black light, stories and skits. We serve all God’s children, We have performed at day care centers, nursing homes, churches, car shows, bible schools and any where God sends us. We have been so blessed with going to different places and performing all the shows that we have because we are not funded by any one church, we do all of Gods work through donations and also volunteering of all of our puppet team members that have joined us to spread the word of God.
We also do a lot of mission work and we have helped others to start puppet ministries too. We do all kinds of workshops. Our mission work has been with the Lakota Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.
If you would be interested in information about a show or a donation or joining our ministry
please contact me at 636 461 0416 or Cell: 314 409 2697.
