Christmas present
He is of tradition to offer a Christmas present for the festival of Christmas.
In France, the legend told with the children wants that it is the Father Christmas which delivers the Cadeau X of Christmas, coming with his sledge from the sky, drawn by Renne S (according to other sources, it viendrat of Rovaniemi in Finland); it passes by the chimney, and leaves the gifts where are posed the socks (with the the United Kingdom and the the United States) or the shoes (in France) of the inhabitants of the house during their sleep. This delivery would take place in the night preceding the Christmas Day after the Réveillon by Christmas. It is advised to write a Lettre with the Father Christmas to indicate to him his wishes before the Christmas Day.
This tradition to offer gifts for Christmas or the New year goes back to the 18th century. The exchange of the gifts reproduces the presentation of the offerings of the shepherds and the magi to the child Jesus.
Today commercial reality transformed the Christmas present as major base economic of the trade during the 2 months which precedes Christmas. The Christmas presents are generally wrapped in paper gift. They are offered as of the Christmas day before or the Christmas Day to the foot of the fir tree. A little everywhere in the francophonie, that is also done as of the Saint Nicolas's Day.