Is there an occasion when we don’t think a gift would help? Going to someone’s house? Take a box of sweets or a bottle of wine. Someone’s birthday? Definitely buy them a gift. Mother’s day, Father’s day, convocation, raksha bandhan, Durga Pujo, promotions, Christmas, humans are forever looking for reasons to celebrate and share their joy in the form of gifts. But where did this concept of gift giving start from?
The tradition of giving gifts was traced back to the Ancient Egyptian civilisation. Their coronation day was much like the birthdays celebrated now and were seen as the day when the Pharaohs, they believed, transformed into gods and began a new life. To mark this special occasion, everyone presented gifts to the Pharaoh, to prepare them for an abundant afterlife.
According to researchers, even Cavemen gave presents to their fellow beings – things like animal teeth or unusually shaped rocks- to show their appreciation and strengthen their social bond. It is only with the rise of social structures that the ideas of gifts became more elaborate and decorative.
In Greek history you can find that Homer’s Odyssey stressed the importance of gift-giving in society. Among the ancient Greeks’ sacred duties was the principle of xenia, which bonded Greek citizens through the concept of hospitality.
If you have the patience to observe the nature around you, you’ll see that the animal kingdom has a concept of gift-giving ingrained in it as well. Your cat thinks you are a creature incapable of taking care of yourself, so it presents a dead rat to you. The Gentoo penguins are always on the look-out for the perfect pebbles to take to their partner which acknowledges their relationship and they then use it to build their nest for their budding family. Apes bring fruits for their mates as part of their wooing ritual. However, Bonobos (also known as the Pygmy chimpanzee), brings apples and bananas to other bonobos who aren’t a part of their group. These primates give presents to strangers because they enjoy having new interactions and expanding their social network.
Taking from our past and our natural surroundings, we humans have evolved to become a society of gift givers who use these presents as a symbol of joy, gratitude, respect and/or love. In a world that keeps getting digitised, physical gifts are a good reminder of our roots that help us stay connected.