Alternative Gifting: A Scent of History
by Marisa
Courtesy of Daily Mantra, you now have a smattering of alternative gift ideas (with a slew still to come, for ongoing inspiration). Some of the pressure is off, and pieces are falling into place. So let's take a moment to explore how this holiday gift-giving frenzy begin?
The traditional exchange of winter holiday gifts stems from the Roman and Pagan Saturnalia celebrations, a winter Solstice festival honoring the god Saturn. In addition to a brief reversal of social roles among slaves and masters, the Saturnalia festivities included gift exchanges, honoring deceased loved ones. These gifts, often wax candles or earthenware figures, signified specific elements of the departed's life or personality, allowing them to live on in the recipient's heart.
With the advent of Christianity, the winter gift-giving tradition was adapted to replicate the gifts of the Magi, and by the Middle Ages, presents were a standard Christmas component, although they were mostly limited to legal or business contacts, such as a tenant and landlord. It wasn't until the late-1820s, when Clement Clarke Moore's A Visit From St. Nicholas (the "T'was the night before Christmas..." poem) burst upon the scene, that Christmas gift exchange became the cultural and economic force we know today.
So if you're still stocking-stuffer stumped? Try tapping into some of these old traditions by offering a gift certificate to exchange household roles (maybe cooking a meal, or doing laundry) or gifting a Saturnalia-esque candle, perhaps with particular scent-memories (such as the Florence Tocca candle 
pictured above as a reminder of a special vacation). Then, explain to the recipient, it's a gift honoring the history of giving.
