The tradition of giving small gifts, cash or tips during the Christmas celebration is another tradition deeply rooted in this holiday. It was customary for public and private employees, like garbage collectors, mailmen, police, and servants to receive tokens of appreciation in the form of small gifts or tips in exchange for ringing in the Christmas holidays with those who benefited from their services. At one point in 14th-century Spain, this practice became so excessive that it was limited to presents, banning any monetary gifts. Another way of collecting gifts during the holidays has been, and in some places continues to be, caroling. Groups of carolers walk around neighborhoods, exchanging holiday greetings and singing Christmas carols in return for food or change. In Ecuador, men dressed up as widowers ask for Christmas offerings. They are typically accompanied by life-sized dolls in the likeness of friends or politicians, which are later set afire. In Mexico, these gifts take the form of knick-knacks and food during "Las Posadas" and Christmas Eve. And in Bogotá, Colombia, people customarily play a "juego de aguinaldos," an innocent game of chance for small amounts of money.
The Origin of the Christmas Box
The tradition of the Christmas box dates back to the Roman era. It is attributed by popular legend to Romulus, the first king of Rome, whose servants presented him with a few branches cut from the fruit groves of the goddess Strenia, on the first day of the year. He received this offering as a sign of good fortune for the coming year. Later, the gesture was transformed into a ritual called strena, today known as estrena, a synonym of the Christmas box. As time went on, the primitive estrenas evolved into a sophisticated practice involving more elaborate gifts. During the times when the poor offered gifts to their superiors, it was usually in keeping with the ancient tradition of never appearing before a god or king without the appropriate offering, a practice which later evolved into tributes or taxes. When members of the upper class gave gifts, they were seen as an indication of prosperity and abundance, and have been known since Roman times as donations.
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