Christmas Presents on a white background.

Christmas Presents on a white background, The earliest presents are opened is on St. Nicholas' Eve on December 5th when children in The Netherlands often receive their presents. On St. Nicholas' Day (6th December) children in Belgium, Germany, Czechia and some other European countries open some of their presents. Giving gifts is an important part of human interaction. It defines our relationships and strengthens (or weakens) bonds with friends, family and lovers. A gift is a symbol for the perceived value of the relationship and thus, inevitably, creates a debt of some kind. Much of the world has been taught that the holiday marks the birth of the Christian saviour, Jesus Christ, but that's simply wrong. The two most notable pagan winter holidays were Germanic Yule and Roman Saturnalia. Christian missionaries gave these holidays a makeover and they are now known to us as Christmas.