The strength of a nation's institutions is not just in their formal rules, but in the informal norms that govern behavior and the degree to which they are internalized by the population.
The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication.
