A look back on the evolving nature of this annual celebration
Venturing out into the metropolis these past weeks has reminded me of the Carmageddon of the pre-pandemic world. It hits you with the warm toxic exhaust fumes from cars lined bumper to bumper on the roads. Why? Because Christmas is upon us and everyone has been conditioned to believe in the Christmas spirit of gift-giving. With gift-giving you have the buggy and horse relationship with gift-buying. Christmas after all is the story of giving and hope (hope that you can pay off the bills later)!
The act of giving gifts on Christmas Day can be attributed to the three Kings, who offered Jesus at the time of his birth gold, frankincense, and myrrh, coupled with the tales of a fourth-century bishop, who later was known as St. Nicholas (then inferred to be who we now know as Santa Claus). Thanks to them, kids and adults alike for centuries have been able to enjoy the excitement of receiving gifts on Christmas and, for most, the dread of having to see what’s been charged against their bank or credit card balance after the holidays.
We commemorate the historic event of the birth of Jesus every year. Records show that the first Christmas celebration was held in Rome on Dec. 25, 336 AD. Dec. 25 was deduced to have been the day of the birth of Jesus because it falls nine months after the Annunciation on March 25. The Annunciation was when the angel Gabriel told Mother Mary, who was married to Joseph, that she was carrying another man’s child in her belly. Before you get riled up, from the mouth of babes: My son William (who was in kindergarten then), after rehearsing the nativity scene for their Christmas play, where he played Joseph, asked, “Mommy, if Mary is the mommy of Jesus and Jesus is the son of God, then who is Joseph?” I was not prepared to have to answer such a convoluted Pandora-esque question so soon, but I did my best. I called his teacher Mrs. Gaynor Domiszewski and told her to clear the conundrum for my four-year-old son!
Gift giving and Christmas toys seem to be a given, but not always so. The ritual of celebrating Christmas started off as a “public feast,” organized by the haves for the have-nots. In his paper, “Toys, Christmas Gifts, and Consumption Culture in London’s ‘Morning Chronicle,” 1800-1827, Joseph Wachelder wrote that before the mid-1800s, “Christmas was a public feast, characterized by revelry, wassailing, and abundant eating and drinking.” This changed because of economic and social circumstances at that time that promoted a more domestic family gathering instead. “The family became the core circle for the festivities. Christmas became a family affair with gifts expressing an affectionate relationship in the family,” wrote Wachelder. “Toys after all provided immediate happiness to children.”
The rise of consumer culture and the department stores in Britain in the second half of the 19th century solidified the need to give gifts at Christmas, toys in particular for children.
A century before, toys had a different meaning. According to an 18th-century dictionary by Dr. Samuel Johnson, a toy is defined as “a trifle; a thing of no value, a plaything or bauble. Any small object or trinket sold to young and old alike.” At the same time it could also mean expensive luxury trinkets made out of gold and silver. But the nature of toys soon evolved into objects “constructed for the amusement of the young.”
With changes in how Christmas is celebrated and its corresponding effect on the nature and meaning of toys geared to be enjoyed by children, Wacheder pointed out that the advent of the modern Christmas ritual began to include decorating the Christmas tree (underneath which presents were kept), the Christmas card to accompany the Christmas present, and the rise of Father Christmas. To make it convenient for consumers to purchase all of the above, the times saw the rise of the gift shop.
Christmas after all is the story of giving and hope (hope that you can pay off the bills later)!
We all know the convenience of the gift shop, which in the Philippines can be equivalent to our glorious airconditioned malls. Consumer culture in the country certainly peaks during Christmas, but I know one such person who is resolute in spending low over the holidays.
For decades, my family has been receiving these calendars and Christmas cards from my Ilocano cousin, now President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. People might be surprised, thinking his gifts would be more bongga or glamorous, but no. This has always been the norm.
A few years ago, I found myself on Balesin Island with BBM and his wife, now first lady Liza Marcos, at a friend’s wedding. On a moonlit night, we were driving to dinner when BBM and I had an exchange. I was telling him about my Ulthera procedure that helped tighten aging skin and the pain I had to endure when he scoffed and declared, “You are so vain!” Indignant, I retorted, “This coming from a guy who gives calendars with his face plastered on them as gifts!” I remember Liza trying to hold her laughter in the background.
So, every Christmas, when I receive my BBM’s Christmas gift, I can’t help but remember and chuckle... Thank you Bongbong, Liza, and family!