Brian Earl

Gift wrap, as we know it, can probably trace its roots back to the early 20th century. Merchants would sell tissue paper. They used to refer to it as gift dressings. It was usually plain white. And it was often if something came in a box, if it was a product that you bought from a store, it came in a box, you'd want to wrap it up. Smaller gifts would typically be hung in the tree.

You'd either hang them, stick them in the branches or hang them from something. And it wasn't until an article that came out in Good Housekeeping, and I want to say this was in the early 20th century, that actually recommended putting gifts under the tree.

You'd either hang them, stick them in the branches or hang them from something. And it wasn't until an article that came out in Good Housekeeping, and I want to say this was in the early 20th century, that actually recommended putting gifts under the tree.

You'd either hang them, stick them in the branches or hang them from something. And it wasn't until an article that came out in Good Housekeeping, and I want to say this was in the early 20th century, that actually recommended putting gifts under the tree.

And in the 1920s, there was an incident at the stationery store in North Carolina where they were selling their tissue gift dressings, but they ran out. So it being a stationary store, one of the owners ran into the back and found some spare paper that they were going to use as envelope liners. It was this bright yellow paper and said, well, I guess this will do. It's better than nothing.

And in the 1920s, there was an incident at the stationery store in North Carolina where they were selling their tissue gift dressings, but they ran out. So it being a stationary store, one of the owners ran into the back and found some spare paper that they were going to use as envelope liners. It was this bright yellow paper and said, well, I guess this will do. It's better than nothing.

And in the 1920s, there was an incident at the stationery store in North Carolina where they were selling their tissue gift dressings, but they ran out. So it being a stationary store, one of the owners ran into the back and found some spare paper that they were going to use as envelope liners. It was this bright yellow paper and said, well, I guess this will do. It's better than nothing.

Put it out on the shelves and the stuff just flew off the shelves. They couldn't keep up with the demand for it, even though it wasn't intended as a gift dressing. And most people would say that that is the point where this idea of brightly colored or ostentatious decorative wrapping paper really got its start from that one mishap at that store in North Carolina that was run by J.C.

Put it out on the shelves and the stuff just flew off the shelves. They couldn't keep up with the demand for it, even though it wasn't intended as a gift dressing. And most people would say that that is the point where this idea of brightly colored or ostentatious decorative wrapping paper really got its start from that one mishap at that store in North Carolina that was run by J.C.

Put it out on the shelves and the stuff just flew off the shelves. They couldn't keep up with the demand for it, even though it wasn't intended as a gift dressing. And most people would say that that is the point where this idea of brightly colored or ostentatious decorative wrapping paper really got its start from that one mishap at that store in North Carolina that was run by J.C.

and Raleigh Hall, who are the brothers who are famous for creating Hallmark.

and Raleigh Hall, who are the brothers who are famous for creating Hallmark.

and Raleigh Hall, who are the brothers who are famous for creating Hallmark.

Well, I think in general, the thing that fascinates me the most about Christmas is that it is so much newer than you probably realize. You think this is based on a 2,000-year-old religious story. It's filled with all kinds of candles and wreaths and Christmas trees, things that feel ancient, things that you think they must have been around for centuries.

Well, I think in general, the thing that fascinates me the most about Christmas is that it is so much newer than you probably realize. You think this is based on a 2,000-year-old religious story. It's filled with all kinds of candles and wreaths and Christmas trees, things that feel ancient, things that you think they must have been around for centuries.

Well, I think in general, the thing that fascinates me the most about Christmas is that it is so much newer than you probably realize. You think this is based on a 2,000-year-old religious story. It's filled with all kinds of candles and wreaths and Christmas trees, things that feel ancient, things that you think they must have been around for centuries.

But most of how you experience Christmas are made up of things that were produced in the last century. decades. And on the one hand, that's really obvious, right? I mean, white Christmas was written in the forties. You know, my grandparents didn't grow up with that song, but even the Santa Claus that we know really came from the thirties. Again, like my great grandparents didn't know that.

But most of how you experience Christmas are made up of things that were produced in the last century. decades. And on the one hand, that's really obvious, right? I mean, white Christmas was written in the forties. You know, my grandparents didn't grow up with that song, but even the Santa Claus that we know really came from the thirties. Again, like my great grandparents didn't know that.

But most of how you experience Christmas are made up of things that were produced in the last century. decades. And on the one hand, that's really obvious, right? I mean, white Christmas was written in the forties. You know, my grandparents didn't grow up with that song, but even the Santa Claus that we know really came from the thirties. Again, like my great grandparents didn't know that.

And again, with the Christmas trees, again, They didn't really become especially common in American households until, you know, about the late 19th, early 20th century. Well, that's my great-great-grandparents for someone my age. It's not exactly ancient history. I mean, those are people, I know their names. I have pictures of those people.