Ever since I was young I always enjoyed the rush of ripping into the wrapping paper that covered the gifts that Santa (AKA my mom) left for me on Christmas morning. Being an adult now i can appreciate how meticulously she wrapped those gifts, taking care to fold the edges and tape the seems. Ensuring that they were perfect, then in runs me ripping the paper off in a millisecond. Fun times
How Much is Spent on Wrapping Paper?
People spend so much time and money on gift wrapping. But why do we do it, and how did wrapping paper become what is today? It is estimated that Americans spend $2.6 billion on wrapping paper a year. But the tradition of concealing gifts started a long time ago.
Who Invented Wrapping Paper?
Wrapping gifts date back to the 1600s in Japan with Furoshiki, a traditional wrapping cloth. In the west, using paper as a covering for gifts has been a longstanding, if largely luxury-oriented, practice. Upper-class Victorians regularly used elaborately decorated paper, along with ribbons and lace to conceal gifts. In the early 20th century, tissue paper became popular and people began wrapping gifts with it.
Around that time stores began wrapping goods in manila paper. Then in 1917, a pair of brothers running a stationary store in Kansas City, Missouri were having such a successful holiday season, they sold out of the standard tissue paper. In its replacement they put out the fancier paper used for the inside of envelopes. People loved the idea and that also sold out. That’s how ornate wrapping paper was invented.
The brothers then began producing and selling their own wrapping paper in 1919.Those brothers were Joyce and Rollie hall. Their store? Hallmark. I guess you can say an industry was born.
Diverse Wrapping Paper
The one thing that I noticed growing up was that whole the gifts my sister and I received were black dolls and black action figures, the wrapping paper that covered them never reflected our heritage. From Saint Nick and his Elves to Snowmen and Nutcrackers, all the available wrapping paper was Eurocentric. Where was the black people wrapping paper?
Black People Gift Wrapping Paper
Well, worry no more, as we at Black-ASF Clothing have designed a line of black wrapping paper that is made for the culture. Celebrate the holidays with gifts wrapped in Afrocentric wrapping paper that look like us.
Get yours for the holidays