Christmas Eve is the night preceding the birth of Jesus Christ. Three wise men, called the magi, saw the star over his birthplace and began to travel to see him, bearing one gift apiece: one brought gold, one brought frankincense, and one brought myrrh. All three of these gifts were very valuable and precious. Jim and Della also are anxious to give valuable and precious gifts to each other in order to show how much they love one another. Because of the three magi bearing gifts for the baby Jesus, the tradition of gift giving has been passed down to Christians through the ages. Therefore, the author is able to draw certain parallels, but also to differentiate between Jim and Della and the three wise men as a result of the story taking place on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve is so significant in O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi" because it presents the opportunity for the exchange of tangible gifts, as is customary during the holiday season.
The story focuses on Jim and Della, a young, impoverished couple who cannot afford to purchase presents for each other for Christmas. Both Jim and Della are so committed to expressing their gratitude for each other that they each separately go out and secretly sell their most beloved possessions--Della's long hair and Jim's watch--in order to scrounge up enough money to buy each other a treat.
The irony of this situation is that these gifts ultimately are rendered useless by the sacrifices that enabled them to be purchased: Della buys a chain for the watch Jim no longer owns, and Jim presents Della with combs for the hair she has cut off.
Ultimately, the couple's willingness to give up what is most precious to them is a testament to their incredible love for each other and a beautiful example of the spirit of giving that is a part of the Christmas season.
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