Welcome
We love finding out why people give the gifts they do, so we dig into where those gifts and traditions come from. At the end of each story, we suggest a few we'd pick ourselves.
St. Nicholas Day
In the Netherlands, children set a shoe by the fireplace on the night of December 5, and in the morning they find it filled.
The gift is small and it comes overnight: an orange, a few spiced cookies, a chocolate letter.
An Elf on the Shelf
In many American homes, a small elf turns up in late November and sits somewhere new each morning until Christmas Eve.
Each night, the story goes, it flies to the North Pole to tell Santa how the children are doing.
November Birthstone
Born in November? You get two stones in warm shades of gold.
November's birthstones are topaz and citrine, and for decades citrine was sold under topaz's name.
December Birthstone
Born in December? You get your pick of blues.
December has three birthstones, turquoise, tanzanite, and zircon, though some jewelers name blue topaz instead of zircon.
White Elephant Gift Exchange
A white elephant gift exchange is the one party where stealing a present is good manners.
Everyone brings a wrapped gift, and on your turn you can open a new one or swipe one somebody else has opened.
The Claddagh Ring
Two hands hold a heart, and the heart wears a crown.
The hands are friendship, the heart is love, and the crown is loyalty.