What is a Gift?

Art Education Therapy Children T-Shirt Gift

 

The Gift.

The festive season of gift giving is upon us and brands are spamming us with emails on the spirit of gift giving and how their products make the best gift (just like I am doing right now).

This morning I was looking at one of those emails and it made me wonder about the history of the gift and this is what I found out.

Gift giving dates back thousands of years as far back as humans can remember.

In early humans, it has been documented that the more generously a man gave, the more easily he would attract a female (For the men reading this article, you can buy her a gift here, just saying).

Something else that I discovered during my research is the “potlatch”. The "potlatch" is a gift-giving feast practiced by Native American cultures (the origin of the word ORENDA, coincidence? I don't think so) for thousands of years on occasions such as births, deaths, and weddings. Family prestige was measured by who could give the most lavish gifts.

Greek poet’s viewed that gifts and gift-giving played a major role in society. “Xenia” - or the ancient Greeks’ concept of hospitality - dictates that one should extend gifts to strangers. According to Homer, the concept of a duty to be kind and generous to your fellow beings, a form of gift giving, was a force for social good, and helped maintain order.

Also, during the ancient ceremonies of Saturnalia, which were celebrated for seven days beginning on December 17, Romans believed that their generosity of trading gifts would bring them good fortune in the coming year. 

Fun Gift Facts

The Biggest Gift in History

Debatably, the biggest gift in history is The Statue of Liberty, presented by France to the United States on the 100th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence.

The Most Expensive Gift in History

Taj Mahal. Built by emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Located near the Indian city of Agra and around 20,000 artisans were engaged in its construction.

Gift giving is a form of expressing yourself and showing gratitude. Gift giving brings joy, not only, to the receiver but also to the giver. Study has shown that gift giving makes us feel happier and creates social connection with others.

What is special about The Orenda Tribe gift is that it brings joy to one extra party. It brings joy to the giver, the receiver and the people of our partner communities.

What are you waiting for? Shop now. 

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The Orenda Tribe is a t-shirt brand on a mission of empowering children through art and art education. Learn More. #ArtforHope