Many people say that the tradition of gift-giving seems to start from the Roman custom of giving the Roman Emperor and others tokens that supposedly gave good luck to the owners. These special tokens were called strenae.

         As the years passed, they started to give their Emperor and friends nicer gifts such as clothing, gold, or silver. This time of the year is called Saturlina.

 However, many people say that the tradition was started before the Romans, by the Babylonians, where Nimrod as his own son, by his wife Semiramis was born. In honor of this event, Semiramis organized the cutting down and decorating trees (the Romans used decorated fir trees.)

         By the year of AD324, the custom of Saturlina was ingrained in the new Christian Emperor, Constantine. Constantine changed the name Saturlina into Christmas.

Another reason people say we are gift-giving now is the Three Wise Men giving gifts to Jesus at his birth.

         Wherever gift giving started, I still believe that gift giving is a nice present that will make the receiver happy.

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