1 January – New Year’s Day

In Tudor England, the eighth day of Christmas—New Year’s Day—rather than Christmas Day itself, was the traditional occasion for giving gifts. This practice was most common among the upper and middle classes, with presents often including food, costly spices, or money. It was also customary in medieval society to offer a gift to one’s lord on this day. Similarly, at the Tudor court, everyone was expected to present a gift to the monarch.

These gifts were formally given in a ceremony and then displayed on a sideboard for all to admire. Presents given to Henry VIII ranged from gold cups and paintings to purses of coins, fine foods, and even exotic animals—on one occasion, he received a pet marmoset, a small type of monkey.

Gift-giving was not entirely one-sided, however. Monarchs also rewarded their subjects. In one year alone, Henry VIII is said to have spent over £800 (around £400,000 today) on Christmas gifts. At Christmas 1540, the artist Hans Holbein the Younger presented the king with a painting of his young son, the future Edward VI. Pleased with the gift, Henry commissioned a silver-gilt cup—silver coated with a thin layer of gold—as a token of his gratitude.