The use of wrapping paper is first documented in ancient China, where paper was invented in 2nd century BC. In the Southern Song dynasty, monetary gifts were wrapped with paper, forming an envelope known as a chih pao. The wrapped gifts were distributed by the Chinese court to government officials. In the Southern Song dynasty, money gifts wrapped in chih pao envelopes circulated at court.
In Western culture, gifts are often wrapped in wrapping paper and accompanied by a gift note. Before the introduction of tissue paper, Upper-class Victorians used decorated and coloured thick paper to cover their gifts.
Modern patterned wrapping paper was introduced to the American market by the Hall Brothers in 1917. When they ran out of their solid-colored gift dressing during the peak of the Christmas season, they began substituting the thicker French envelope liners for wrapping presents. This led to the tradition of concealing gifts with decorative paper in the United States. The gift wrap industry creates four million tons of trash with all that printed paper and holiday gift bags.
Thankfully, most paper today is made out of post-consumer waste, but approximately 30 million trees are cut down to make wrapping paper each year.
In Japan, the furoshiki, a reusable wrapping cloth from the Edo period, started the practice of wrapping presents without creating waste.
Who came up with gift wrapping?
In 1917, Joyce Clyde Hall and his brother, Rollie, invented modern gift wrap in their Kansas City, MO, store.
What did Jim get Della as a gift?
Jim gives Della ornamental combs. Della gives Jim a watch chain, and he tells her that he sold the watch to buy the combs.
Gift-giving has roots in pagan winter rituals. For example, weaving washi tape of different colors and patterns dresses up plain brown paper. Gluing small toys and crayons on top of a wrapped gift is popular with children since it adds fun to gifting.
In the 1950s and ’60s, gift wrap stylists like Beverly Blickenstaff traveled demonstrating techniques for wrapping presents. Psychologists suggest that wrapping gifts can put you in a good mood.
Before Scotch tape’s 1930 invention, gifts were tied up with string and sealing wax. The first European gift wrap was early Victorian wallpaper, which cracked and ripped too easily. Only the wealthy exchanged elaborately wrapped gifts using expensive ribbons and laces, developing the style from wrapping Christmas cards, which were at first personalized calling cards.