Have you ever wondered where the habit of wrapping presents comes from? Our trip begins in the Far East where the Japanese word for the art of packing is “tsutsumi”, which literally means package or gift. The tradition of exchanging gifts originates from the Shinto religion. The innumerable gods of the Shintoo (“way of the gods”) used to receive ritual offerings by the people (for example rice, salt, fruit, etc …) that were wrapped and protected with various materials including the so-called “washi” paper, which means “paper of peace”. The significance of a tsutsumi is therefore protecting the gift by wrapping it according to the sacred art and then offering it as a sign of peace and harmony. The gift is seen as something unique to be enhanced and protected. The more accurate the tsutsumi is the more important its symbolic value becomes. Compared to what happens in the Western countries, the tsutsumi sees the pleasure in contemplating the package without making haste to open it. Another very important element is how you tie your gift that sometimes takes on a real symbolic meaning: it refers to the bond between you and the person receiving the gift, especially for particularly significant occasions, such as a birth or a marriage. Today, as in the past, tsutsumi means presenting the gifts by enhancing them with special materials and shapes. In Japan the art of packing concentrates more on the diagonals of the sheet, compared to the Western habit of wrapping the object with parallel sides. This is because asymmetric shapes are considered more interesting and suitable for any shape of gift. Anyway, the same rule applies both in the East and in the West: if a package is made with love and care, thus dedicating time, creativity and imagination, this will add a special value to your gift.
