A Christmas Gift Of Love

If you want to give someone a great gift for Christmas, how about a gift basket that's been personalized with all kinds of goodies and treats? It just so happens that you would be following the great tradition of giving treats to your loved ones. Historically, people would leave nuts, apples and sweets in shoes left beside beds, on windowsills or before the fireplace hearth. The custom was designed in celebration of St. Nicholas, who survived an attempt to stamp him out during the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Many years later the tradition was brought over from Europe to America and when John Pintard founded the New York Historical Society in 1804, he promoted St. Nicholas. St. Nichals has gone through many transformations over the years and eventually wound up as a jolly character with a clay pipe would would climb down chimneys to bring gifts. Out of these legends were borne the most famous poem that people still traditionally recite every Christmas Eve known as "The Night Before Christmas". In celebration of these wonderful stories, you can give beautiful Christmas Gift Baskets as a way of carrying on these traditions and keeping the spirit of St. Nicholas alive in the 21st century.