History and Psychology behind Gift Giving
Believe it or not, gift giving has been a tradition among us humans which dates back to as far as man remembers. It’s innate in us to be social creatures being with each other’s company. We express our feelings in form of gift giving regardless if it is a simple accessory, baby gift baskets Toronto, latest gadget and whatnot.
Because, Why Not?
Perhaps, gift giving is one of the oldest activities humans do which predates civilizations. Even in primitive cultures, this was a common practice as it’s used to display affection and love towards each other. As for clan or tribe leaders, bestowing of gifts was inferred as status symbol. However, as the times passed, its purpose change and has a totally different meaning depending on the era it is used.
- Egyptian Era – gifts were given notably to pharaohs who have built massive empire. This can be shown in their humongous pyramids where they store their wealth, which is believed to be taken in the afterlife. Not to mention, their idols to back up their beliefs.
- Roman Times – people present gifts with each other as a good luck token. Believe you don’t, this has lasted for centuries and was influenced later on by the Western Civilization.
- Medieval Age – gifts were actually used in creating personal favor of king or perhaps, to show allegiance or loyalty especially in times of war.
- Present Time – nowadays, we’re very far from this notion. Because today, gifts are given as part of our culture and to define who we are as well as the message we’d like to send.
Psychology of Gift Giving
These days, gift giving is spread like wildfire across different cultures worldwide. It is done to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, best wishes for newlyweds, offering good luck, showing affection and love or just a simple gesture of saying gratitude.
The idea why gift giving is rewarding is pretty simple: it lets people socialize and make more intimate connection to the receiver.
The giver is able to express their deeper emotions and feelings by simply sending gifts with hopes of sharing these with his/her recipient. Making connections with those around us is somewhat giving us the feeling of satisfaction and sense of purpose.