Christmas Gifts – 15 Facts About Christmas Gifts and Their History

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Why is it really called Christmas present? Why did Swedish children in the past receive packages from a Christmas goat, why do people hang Christmas stockings by the fireplace and why was the very first Christmas present of the year not a big success? Here we have collected 15 interesting facts about Christmas presents – from old joke gifts and Christmas gift rhymes to Tomteboda and modern packages.

15 interesting facts about Christmas presents

Giving gifts is an obvious part of the Christmas celebration for many, but the tradition has changed a lot throughout history. What today can be an expensive piece of technology sometimes started out as something much simpler – and maybe even as a joke.

1. The Christmas gift is called a Christmas gift because people knocked on the door.

The word Christmas gift has a rather literal background. In the past, someone who wanted to give a gift could sneak up to the recipient's house, knock hard on the door, throw the gift in, and quickly disappear from there.

So it was themselves the knocking on the door which gave the Christmas present its name. This type of anonymous Christmas present has been known at least since the 17th century.

2. The Christmas present could have originally been a joke gift

Anyone who received a Christmas present in the past could not be sure that the package contained something longed for. The gift could be a humorous object made of wood or straw, for example, and often included a verse that teased the recipient a little.

The point wasn't necessarily to give away something precious. The joke itself, the surprise and the mystery surrounding who had given the gift were an important part of the tradition.

3. Christmas gift rhymes have a long history

The old joke could be given a verse or rhyme, and the tradition of writing rhymes on Christmas presents lived on even when the gifts became more serious. The rhyme could provide clues to the content without revealing too much – just like today.

Old collections of Christmas gift rhymes also show that our ancestors were not always so solemn around Christmas. The rhymes could be both humorous and quite cheeky.

READ MORE: Christmas rhymes - 25 tips for Christmas presents with rhymes

4. A Christmas present didn't have to be a toy in the past

Old stories about Christmas celebrations show that children could receive much more practical Christmas presents than today's toys and electronics. New shoes and clothes could be appreciated gifts, as could apples, candy, and other treats.

In the archives of the Institute of Language and Folklore there is also a story about a boy who was not very helpful in carrying firewood. On Christmas Eve he received an unusually large package. In the package was a log of firewood. The message must have gotten through…

5. The Christmas goat handed out presents before Santa Claus

Before Santa Claus got the job, the Christmas goat could bring Christmas presents in Sweden. During the 19th century, someone could dress up as a goat and show up with gifts, especially in bourgeois environments.

The Christmas goat of that time was not necessarily the modest straw goat we place under the tree today. The figure could be messy, scary, and play various tricks on people.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Santa Claus began to take over the role of Christmas present giver. If you want to know how our modern Santa Claus actually came about, you can read more in our article about Facts about Santa Claus.

6. Saint Nicholas became a role model for the modern gift giver

One of the role models for today's Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, a Christian saint who lived in the 4th century and over time became known for his generosity.

A famous legend tells of a poor man who could not afford dowries for his three daughters. Nicholas then secretly gave the family gold. The story has several variations and should be considered just a legend, but it contributed to the image of Saint Nicholas as a secret giver.

His name also lives on in Dutch, among other places. Santa Claus, which in turn is linked to American Santa Claus.

7. The Christmas stocking has its own history

The Christmas stocking has also been linked to the legend of Saint Nicholas. In one version, the gold that Nicholas gave away ended up in stockings that were hung to dry by the fire.

Regardless of how the legend went, the Christmas stocking eventually became an established part of Christmas celebrations in countries such as the UK and the US. During the 20th century, the tradition also spread to Sweden.

The advantage of a Christmas stocking is, of course, that there is a natural limit to how big the Christmas presents can be.

8. Christmas presents are not given out on the same day everywhere

For us Swedes, it goes without saying that Christmas presents are handed out on Christmas Eve, December 24th, but that's not the case everywhere.

In several Nordic and Central European countries, the big parcel distribution takes place on Christmas Eve, while Christmas presents in the UK and the US, for example, are traditionally opened on Christmas Day. Elsewhere, children may receive presents on St. Nicholas Day in early December.

In Spain, the three wise men, or the three kings, have traditionally brought gifts on Epiphany on January 6. Traditions change and mix, of course, and even within the same country, families can celebrate in different ways.

9. Swedish children have been writing wish lists to Santa for over 130 years

In 1891, the newspaper began Santa Claus is published for Swedish children. Soon children also began sending letters to the newspaper's Santa with questions and requests for Christmas presents.

When the newspaper eventually ceased publication, the letters continued to arrive. Santa's mail had simply become a tradition in its own right.

Many of the old letters have been preserved and today constitute an exciting cultural history. Through them, it is possible to see both what children wished for and how their everyday lives have changed over the generations.

10. You can still write to Santa Claus in Tomteboda

The tradition actually lives on. Every year thousands of letters from children arrive at Santa Claus, and PostNord takes care of them. The classic address is:

Santa Claus
173 00 Tomteboda

Some of the letters are also saved for the future and thus become small time documents of children's thoughts, dreams and wishes.

11. Children surprisingly want the same things now as they did in the past

Technology is changing, but children don't seem to be quite as different today as one might think.

When old letters to Santa are compared to more recent wish lists, things like toys, books, and even pets recur across generations. However, modern wish lists tend to include more items.

A mobile phone or game console would have been hard to come by in the 1890s, of course, but the principle itself – Please Santa, I would really like to have... – are quite similar.

12. The Christmas Gift of the Year has been named since 1988

Since 1988, HUI Research has appointed each year Christmas present of the year. To be chosen, the product must reflect the times we live in and meet one or more criteria, such as newly aroused interest and sales.

The very first Christmas present of the year was the baking machine. Since then, everything from mobile phones and GPS receivers to spike mats and emergency kitchens have received the award.

13. The first Christmas present of the year was not a great success

You might think that the title Christmas Gift of the Year guarantees sales success. It's not that simple.

The baking machine was thus named the very first Christmas Gift of the Year in 1988, but sales did not quite live up to expectations. After Christmas, many baking machines were sold off.

In other words, it was a historically important Christmas present – but not necessarily the Christmas present all Swedes dreamed of.

14. This year's Christmas gifts tell the story of the times we live in

Looking back at previous Christmas Gifts of the Year is almost like browsing through contemporary Swedish history. Some examples are:

• 1988: The baking machine
• 1994: The mobile phone
• 1996: The Internet package
• 2007: The GPS receiver
• 2009: The nail mat
• 2010: The tablet
• 2017: The electric bike
• 2020: Storm kitchen

The mobile phone and the internet package say something about the technological shift of the 1990s, while both the electric bicycle and the emergency kitchen reflect completely different parts of their time.

And the spike mat? Yes, anyone who remembers 2009 might also remember that it suddenly felt like all was on one of those.

15. A Christmas present doesn't have to be a thing

Christmas presents have changed many times throughout history and of course there is nothing that says a gift has to be a newly purchased item.

It could be something edible, something used, an experience, something you made yourself or time together. Another option is to donate money to an organization or cause that the recipient appreciates.

Maybe it is, after all, the idea of the gift itself that is the tradition that has changed the least?

How important are Christmas presents to us?

We think Christmas presents can be fun, but for us they are far from the most important thing about Christmas. Children are of course welcome to receive packages, but when it comes to adults, we often think that something small and edible, that actually gets used, can be at least as nice as an expensive gadget.

Another option is to spend your Christmas gift money on someone or an organization that needs it more. We simply like the idea of focusing a little less on buying things just because you ”have to.”.

And if we're traveling over Christmas, it could be anything. Then there might not be any Christmas presents at all – and that's perfectly fine too.

Christmas gift ideas for those who like motorhomes, caravans and outdoor activities

Are you looking for a physical Christmas gift for someone who enjoys motorhome life, caravanning, boating or outdoor life? Our webshop has various products with motifs and themes for those who enjoy life and adventures outdoors.

See our Christmas gift ideas in the webshop