Corner Story: Holiday Gift Traditions

Gift giving as we know it today began in the 1890s, when a rising American middle class celebrated its new wealth by placing greater emphasis on exchanging Christmas presents with friends and family. In the Victorian period, however, gifts were usually small and unpretentious - gifts of candy or clothing were common, while more expensive gifts were exchanged only by the social elite. Yet as the wealth of modern nations has increased, so has the size and cost of the typical Christmas gift, so much so that the average American family spent almost $700 on the holidays in 2003.

Today gifts are likely to include personal or luxury items just as much as the tokens of affections given by families of yesteryear. Electronics are a perennial favorite, with clothing and toys following close behind. For children’s and baby gifts, educational electronics have led the gift-giving pack in recent years.