The custom of gift giving on Christmas goes back to pagan traditions practiced during the Roman festival of Saturnalia (December 17-23) to mark the Winter Solstice. In the 4th century, the early Church leaders are believed to have fixed Christmas day around this festival because pagans already observed this day as a holiday and it would sidestep the problem of eliminating a popular holiday while converting the population to Christianity.

The very first Christmas gifts were simple items such as twigs from a sacred grove as good luck emblems. Soon that escalated to food, small items of jewelry, candles, and statues of gods. To the early Church, gift giving at this time was a pagan holdover and therefore severely frowned upon. However, people would not part with it, and some justification was found in the original gift giving of the Magi, and from figures such as St. Nicholas. By the middle ages gift giving was accepted.

These early gifts were meant as signs of homage and tribute regardless of religious beliefs. With that in mind, what can today’s organizations do during the holiday season to capture the initial spirit of the season and pay homage to their employees? Here are some ideas:

· Give your employees some real feedback—let them know that they are valued and be specific about why. Thank them for their specific contributions for the year.

· Ask them about their desires and goals for the coming year. Hear their hopes and dreams and fears, but don’t rush to judgment or make promises. Make it a new year’s resolution to work with them to develop a plan to make their hopes and dreams come true.

· If you plan on exchanging gifts, give gifts from the heart instead of the store. For example, give employees an allowance to donate money to charitable organizations that have personal meaning to them rather than selecting one organization for the company as a whole.

· If you are set on having a Secret Santa at your party, instead of buying gifts, have employees write “Thank You Cards” to the person they draw to show appreciation for their contributions during the year. Post the cards on a wall for everyone to see. During the party, employees need to find their Secret Santa and, in the process, read their colleagues cards and add their thanks and good wishes.

I hope this triggers a few ideas for making the holiday season at work a meaningful one. I look forward to your thoughts and feedback. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

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