If Christmas achieves anything, it is bringing us together around family… and food. Christmas baskets and bundles bring together all those delicacies that we like to see and share on our tables, but where does this tradition come from and how has it changed over the years?
Elena Bravo, from the almost century-old Mantequerías Bravo, explains that “its origin dates back to Roman times, but the boom in our country occurred in the second half of the 20th century.” It is considered that the tradition of giving a gift to workers at this time of year already took place in ancient Rome due to the tradition between employers and their 'clients' (free workers in exchange for maintenance and protection) known as sportula.
During what is now our month of December, Saturnalia took place, one of the great Roman festivals for which a sacrifice was made in the temple of Saturn followed by a public banquet during which gifts were also exchanged. The party was unofficially extended up to 7 days in which, as in Carnival, social rules were relaxed and merriment reigned. It was precisely in this festive setting when the patrons gave their clients a basket with food during the ceremony called salutatio matutina: early in the morning, the clients came to present themselves to the patron and he gave them baskets filled with figs and laurel. as well as other foods.
According to historian Rafael Sánchez Domingo, from the University of Burgos, the Christmas bonus is common in different cultures since “it obeys the belief that the best omens for the coming year are attracted with generous gifts.” In fact, Sánchez Domingo comments that the Latin word for this type of gift is strena, from which our verb 'new' is derived, "in which lies the idea not only of the beginning, but of the good beginning of something and is what accompanied always to the New Year's bonuses: the idea of starting, of starting the year well."
At Eurolotes they have been making Christmas baskets and packages for 55 years. Its administrator, María Ángeles Guisado, explains that this custom in our country is born out of necessity: “In the past, most people did not have enough money to buy some foods that are now typical and common at Christmas, such as nougat or the cava, so the bosses gave that gift so that the families could celebrate.” To that Roman tradition was added the desire to share and also to give gifts to workers with an intention: to reward their efforts throughout the year and improve their satisfaction in the company.
What is the most given today? In Eurolotes figures, the best sellers are the lots. “Companies prefer to invest money in the product and not in the container, and the basket is always more expensive.” However, more elegant wooden boxes and cases continue to have a market, although self-closing cardboard or kraft boxes win out over them.
As for its content, “the ones that succeed the most are those that have sausages. This is a trend that has changed over the years, since two decades ago those with nougat sold much more.” For Mantequeríeas Bravo, the bestsellers “combine a little of everything: wine, sparkling wines, preserves and Iberian products, and other products to accompany them, in a range of prices to suit the customer.” In their case, they have also observed the trend of reducing the number of Christmas sweets. "Some are always included, but what is not missing in almost any batch or basket is a premium panettone: it is still new and there are infinite options to choose from." He also points out that in the last decade there has been an increase in requests to include a good extra virgin olive oil among the chosen products.
Guisado highlights that in the last two decades there has also been a change in criteria. “If before a great diversity of products was preferred, sometimes as many as 50, now a smaller number, but of higher quality, is chosen. It is preferred to give away products that cannot be found in the supermarket and that have a gourmet cut, whether they are whole sausages or in sachets and high-quality wines and cavas.” The Eurolotes administrator details that there are already preferences regarding sausages: "Older people prefer the whole sausage, be it a loin or a shoulder, and the youngest want it already cut and wrapped."
The baskets in the sectors also have their variations. “In the construction sector, they opted for volume, for a basket or lot with a large number of products, while in the IT or pharmacy sector, a selection of higher quality products has been preferred. The sectors affected by the crisis are doing so less and less, such as construction, although others such as pharmaceutical laboratories and IT have risen a lot.”
In the case of Mantequerías Bravo, sales of Christmas lots and baskets have not decreased thanks to a new phenomenon: “Demand has increased from private customers who want to give gourmet baskets to their engagements or family members,” says Bravo.
