New Year celebration has always enchanted people all over the world since time immemorial & the many forms of this kaleidoscopic festival event. The gift giving tradition rooting back to the pre-historic era has managed to keep the charm intact till date. This is one event which is celebrated with gaiety & fervor. Traditionally practiced without losing track of a single year, the gift giving culture is spontaneously carried out in different nook & corner of the globe, right from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.

Christmas gift giving tradition was more prevalent & was in custom rather than wishing loved ones in the form of showering gifts on the New Year event. But when tracing its origin, it dates back to the time when it became a custom made into practice by the German and Dutch settlers. The imposed tradition was finally accepted with open arms by the general public in the English and French dominated states. However, the old tradition was replaced by the current popular custom after the combined German and Dutch heavy influences.

New Year was celebrated on different dates as per the varied cultures practiced in different countries before January 1 was finally accepted as the secular New Year all over. Broad areas of convergence in their diverging customs simultaneously took place. New year gift giving ceremony generally symbolizes the genuine greetings to one another marking the auspicious nature of the new year specialty.

From the Celts to the Romans: The Celtic-Teutonic Druids used to make a gift of their holy plant mistletoe at the beginning of the New Year. Among the Romans such gifts were called 'strenae', a word said to be derived from the goddess of luck, Strenia. At first the gifts were branches from sacred trees meant for wishing recipients an auspicious New Year. Later objects like gilded nuts and coins bearing the imprint of Janus, the god with two faces to whom January was sacred.

Tradition from the Celts to the Romans
The New Year gift giving ceremony have come a long way especially after the many traditions it has followed. Such as the one followed by the Celtic-Teutonic Druids who would give away New Year gifts made of their holy plant mistletoe known as 'strenae' among the Romans meaning to be derived from the goddess of luck, Strenia. Gradually, the gifts took the form of gilded nuts and coins with imprints of Janus, the god with two faces to whom January was sacred.

In Rome, gifts were even presented to the emperor as part of the custom. The gift form however took a different form, i.e. it became a 'forced payment' rather than the spontaneous gifting ceremony for a couple of centuries with due courtesy going to the ruling power wielding Roman despots. It was ultimately banned by Pope Leo I the Great in 458.

Tradition among the English and the Scots
New year gift culture was equally followed in the English royalty especially in Henry III (1216-72) rule. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, details were maintained on the gifting & receiving of presents which in a way systematized the practice. It however had to be sidetracked after the splendor of Queen Elizabeth's reign.

English loved the culture of New Year Gift exchange custom till the Victorian regime. The common form of gifts would typically include a pair of gloves, flavor wine. The tradition branched out till the America & the French territory which is celebrated till date. Gifts were rather solicited by a band of boys in the beautiful Scottish land for celebration.