Each year millions of children eagerly await the arrival of St. Nick. Perhaps the most difficult night for youngsters to fall asleep is the night when Santa is due to arrive.

Santa is not the only holiday figure that is so anxiously awaited each year. All around the world, gift givers make scheduled stops at the houses of all good little boys and girls. Some even stop where boys and girls have not been so good.

The roots of the Christmas present extend to ancient times. The gift giving tradition as we know it today is perhaps the most like Victorian England. The Victorians made family a part of the holiday celebration which brought warmth and spirit to Christmas

The Victorians had parties that were a lot of messy fun. Each member of the family was assigned a color. In a room crisscrossed with yarn of various colors, each person followed an assigned color through the web of yarn until he or she reached the present tied to the end.

Because friendliness and charity fill many hearts during the Christmas season, giving gifts is natural. An expression of love and kindness is the ultimate reason for giving a gift. Whether the gift is for a loved one or a friend from work, you want that person to know they are appreciated.

Although gift giving continues throughout the year, it seems Christmas is the one holiday when people spend hours searching for the right gift, wrapping and stashing it away until the final moment.