Whether you are a parent searching for the perfect gift to satisfy your child or a friend looking for the most impressive item to bring to the white elephant gift exchange, we all have agonized over the thought of gift giving. From the start of December up until weeks after the holiday season, shopping and gift hunting are all that occupies the minds of individuals and families. Mothers are frantically looking for deals on their daughter’s favorite dolls or the video game their son has been begging for. Families are stocking up on chocolate and candles to give to friends, coworkers, and the influential teachers from years past. But from this shopping craze emerges a commonality: a lack of conscientiousness into the true meaning of gift giving. As a society, we have been bombarded with messages of consumerism and are urged to buy more. We are compelled to give an abundance of material gifts to multiple people to show that we really care. However, through this mindset we lose our focus on what giving really entails. This article will zoom into how to cope with the confusion and indecisiveness of gift giving, and how giving does not have to abide by society’s conventional pressures in order to capture the true joy and warmth of the holiday season. 

A common perception amongst our population is that the size and cost of a gift correlates directly with the depth of our generosity and the kindness of our gesture. Therefore, the task of searching for the perfect gift can be daunting. People tend to fixate on securing an item that will make a good impression on the recipient. However, size does not have to be the focus in gifting. It is okay if your gift is small or less grand than others’ gifts to their loved ones, and it especially does not mean you love someone less if your gift is smaller. When making purchasing choices, it is helpful to evaluate what someone would truly need or benefit from. In fact, the more lavish something is, the more likely it ends up as clutter, as the recipient likely did not want or need that particular item initially. In a society so prone to impulse buying and flocking to the sales, we must reevaluate our approach to gifts and shift our focus from quantity to quality.

The holidays put an overwhelming, invisible burden on one’s shoulders for gift giving. Shopping seems to be the remedy we all settle with because it is a tangible indication of the good intentions of our heart. However, in the midst of this chaos, it is easy to forget that the joys of the holiday are not confined to being spread through materialistic items. In my own experience, receiving the classic box of Ferrero Rocher or beach scented candle isn’t as meaningful to me compared to a thoughtful card with a quaint winter village and children ice skating doodled on the front. It is so easy to forget that, as cliche as it sounds, it truly is the thought that goes into the gifting process that constitutes the warmth of the holiday season. The gift of time spent with family and friends, the gift of a home cooked meal, the gift of a night out watching a holiday light show — these are the small, precious gifts that go unnoticed.Though it is by no means wrong to purchase gifts for people, it is always good to remember that we can be relieved of the pressure and obligation of buying when we remind ourselves of why we give in the first place and that the value of our gifts lies in what we make of them. 

The act of giving can be manifested in a plethora of ways – giving does not have to depend so greatly on the pressures of financial splendor or materialism. Especially during this holiday season, we can find solace in knowing that the joy of giving is amplified when a gift becomes a reflection of one’s value for experiences and relationships. So, the next time you feel lost in the tedious process of searching for gifts, remind yourself to take the approach you feel will best help you be a light during the holiday season and magnify the true joy of giving.