Anthropologist explains
Not only at Christmas: Why we give each other presents
The increased volume of parcels these days is yet more proof that presents are booming at Christmas. The festival of love has also, if not exclusively, become a festival of giving. But why do we give away precious and valuable things year after year when we could keep them for ourselves?
According to the Austrian Retail Association, Austrians want to spend an average of 386 euros on gifts this year. The figure is slightly higher (423 euros) in Lower Austria and Burgenland and slightly lower (355 euros) in Styria and Carinthia. The traditionally most popular gift is and remains the gift certificate (42 percent), followed by "time together" (31 percent), toys (29 percent) and cash (28 percent).
From the cave days to today
Gifts are not only given at Christmas, of course, but also on other (religious) holidays, birthdays, name days and a variety of other occasions - and not just since yesterday: according to paleoanthropologist Ariane Burke from the University of Montreal, our ancestors were already exchanging symbolic objects made from decorated bones, shells, teeth, ivory, stones, tree bark or feathers 35,000 years ago.
But why did our first ancestors simply give away something precious or valuable instead of keeping and using it for themselves?
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