The term xenia dates back to ancient times, specifically in Greek and Roman cultures, it comes from the institution of hospitality and had an allusion to a contract that involved members of warlords and kings. The contract was basically a hospitality agreement. Both parties determined the conditions and left them written in a table where both signed, the table was divided so that the parties will each keep a copy. At the time of demanding the conditions that the xenia had stipulated later by an ally or combatant, they presented the piece of table and hospitality was guaranteed.
It was a very simple treatment that was carried out a lot in times of war to have safe help at some point.
Xenia was born from the need of the people of the time to find themselves safe in lands that were not their own without having to be subjected to some type of discrediting dependency.
In this sense, xenia also refers to gifts that denote hospitality to visitors, on behalf of the renewal of friendship and to make them feel liked by their hosts. That is why xenia was handled among wealthy families, although among the most humble they strove for a good present of xenia, which has transcendence until today in various cultures of the world, with a greater boom in Latin America, where families without so much economic stability ensures that the stay of a guest is of the highest possible quality.
however most of the time, these hospitality gifts consisted of edible presents that included different game animals, fish or fruit baskets. It was frequently depicted in Roman mosaics.