Monthly Newsletter

‘Tis the season.  Christmas is a magical time. Visions of decorations, parties and gifts dance in our heads. As we contemplated the best gifts for the host and hostess, we gave thought to the why and how gift giving and decided it prompted some reflection.

Gift giving is a historical concept dating back at least to the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, an ancient festival which took place about December 23.  Some of the gifts presented during the festivity included coins to represent prosperity, pastries to represent happiness, and lamps to provide light on one's journey through life.  A number of scholars view this festival as the origin of later Christmas celebrations, or at least as contributing to them.

Even at the time of His birth, Jesus Christ was associated with gift giving.  When He was born, the three Wise Men brought gifts to the newborn babe to honor Him.  These gifts were gold, frankincense and myrrh, gifts that would normally have been given to a king. These items may also have had a symbolic meaning -- frankincense was associated with the priesthood, gold was the symbol of earthly kings, and myrrh was a symbol of death, as this incense was often burned at funerals.  The idea that gift giving and love are closely associated developed alongside the growth of the Christian religion.

Saint Nicholas, a 4th century Greek bishop known for secret gift giving, became the precursor to our Santa Claus, and the history of gift giving has become firmly part of our present day culture for most religions. The most famous and pervasive of these figures in modern celebration worldwide is Santa Claus, a mythical gift bringer, dressed in red with a white beard, whose origins have diverse sources.

Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop's attire, accompanied by helpers, inquiring about the behavior of children during the past year before deciding whether they deserved a gift or not. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern Europe. The modern popular image of Santa Claus, however, was created in the United States, and, in particular, in New York. The transformation was accomplished with the aid of notable contributors including Washington Irving and the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast. Following the American Revolutionary War, some of the inhabitants of New York City sought out symbols of the city's non-English past. New York had originally been established as the Dutch colonial town of New Amsterdam and the Dutch Sinterklaas tradition was reinvented as Saint Nicholas. Sinterklaas simply means Santa Claus.

Today, while gifts are given for a variety of holidays and special occasions, the largest of these gift- giving occasions is and will probably remain to be the Christmas holiday.  Holiday gift giving is big business in the United States and Western Europe. Materialism, sad to say, has taken over the real meaning of the holiday.

Nonetheless, gift giving has long been a favorite subject for studies on human behavior, with psychologists, anthropologists, economists and marketers all weighing in. They have found that giving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends.  Indeed, psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift. Frustrated by crowds, traffic and commercialism, people can be tempted at this time of year to opt out of gift giving altogether.

But, while it’s reasonable to cut back on spending during the holidays, especially when money is tight, psychologists say that banning the gift exchange altogether with loved ones is not the best solution.  It is better to focus on hand-made gifts, as simple as a meaningful photograph that is framed, or lovingly-made gifts of food that can be enjoyed by all.  People who refuse to accept or exchange gifts during the holidays, experts say, may be missing out on an important connection with family and friends. Who is on your gift list is telling you who is important in your life.

With enough said about the history and psychology of giving, we encourage the art of giving – the act of kindness and love.  We encourage the well-chosen gift that reflects not so much the donor, but the interests of the recipient.  In this regard, we have some suggestions to complement our theme of entertaining.  While some of our ideas may seem extravagant, there is a gift for everyone’s budget. Inexpensive, but well-selected, items can easily be found at auction sites and estate and store sales.  With our interests in mind, Entertaining in Dallas suggests:

For the wine enthusiast -

A fabulous carafe, perhaps by our favorite, William Yeoward, found at Madison or Neiman Marcus.  We have found similar finds on internet sites for antiques. A gift of gracious champagne flutes, including flutes at relatively reasonable cost at Tiffany & Co. and antique flutes found at Davonia Antiques. A special wine or champagne to accompany the carafe or flutes.  The experts at Pogo's Wine & Spirits or Sigels Fine Wines & Great Spirits can recommend the perfect choices. A book on Bordeaux chateaux we found at Nest to enhance the appreciation of one of the finest wine growing regions and, perhaps, encourage a future trip to one of the most scenic areas of France.  With stunning photography, Bordeaux Chateaux: A History of the Grands Crus Classés 1855-2005 makes a great addition to the wine library and tabletop.

For the tabletop collector -

A set of porcelain plates, perhaps antique, in a Christmas-inspired color from eBay, Ruby Lane or from one of the many local Dallas merchants. Please refer to our Source section on Tabletop. An exquisite addition (or start) to an antique silver collection. From eBay, Ruby Lane as well as auction houses and antique dealers. A selection from one of the year’s best cookbooks always makes a great gift for the interested hostess.  One of our favorite New York shops is Kitchen Arts & Letters, Inc, a treasure for expert information and sources on cookbooks. A link to their site will give their list of the year’s best.  Our favorites are below:

For Friends -

A Christmas collectible to become part of the annual décor and memories.  We fell in love with a tin weathervane, a trumpeting angel, from Wisteria, which complements all decors. Ornaments to add to the annual tree from any of our local venders, including Neiman Marcus, Pottery Barn and the Horchow Collection, to name just a few of the more obvious.  This is a year that Wisteria has caught our fancy with great collections and colors of green and mercury glass, not to say we have abandoned our love of Christopher Radko and similar figurative ornaments.  Nonetheless, glitter, silver and gold are buzz words in all the season’s catalogues. A gift of food, especially for out of town friends, that will add a gourmet and special touch to holiday entertaining.  We love the ham that has been featured in several catalogues that would make a centerpiece on any holiday dining buffet.  Ham I Am!-- the ham with a pedigree -- has been recognized as the “best of the best” by the  International Fancy Food Show and is sold in the Neiman Marcus catalog, at Central Market and direct from their website. Healthy and delicious chocolates from Dr. Sue's Chocolates available at Paper & Chocolate and other locations.  A practicing cardiologist, Dr. Sue Williams has developed a chocolate delicacy that is a nourishing alternative to what otherwise is considered a decadent indulgence. It is divine! We encourage you to read our 2010 Christmas newsletter, An Old Fashioned Christmas.  We covered everything from decorations to invitations, food and music, all still applicable this year.  With ample time to enjoy a holiday trip to the Big Apple, please read this year’s recommendations for the trip east, New York Revisited. In case you should miss our mid-month newsletter amid all the preparations and frivolity, Entertaining in Dallas wishes you Happy Holidays and on-going occasions in the future to enjoy the companionship of family and friends.

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