What Gift Giving says about You!


I'll be honest.  I love giving presents.  Nothing to me is more enjoyable than shopping for the perfect gift for someone, then presenting it in a perfectly wrapped package.  It probably doesn't amount to much in this crazy mixed up world of ours, but to me it is a momentary sigh for a person.  It is just a quickie little thing that says, "Someone thinks you are important."

Okay, I have a friend who gets off on gift giving and shopping for presents.  She doesn't just give one item.  I usually get at least a dozen things from her.  All wrapped to perfection.  She likes matching things to a person's personality.  To her nothing is worse than getting some stupid item you can't use or doesn't make sense for your life or life-style.

When we love, we give. Every time we do something for someone else we feel effective, useful and generous. Giving a tangible gift can also lead to some reflection about what our relationship to the person is (what kind of gift is appropriate), how much we care about the person (how much effort do we want to go to), and how that person's likes or dislikes may be similar to our own (what should we actually buy or make). These are just some of the thoughts gift-giving provokes. Resolving them helps us feel effective. The same may be said of giving advice or doing someone a service.

We usually think that the more we care about someone, the more we want to give to them. This is probably true. But what is even more interesting is that the more we give, the more we come to care about the person to whom we are giving. We feel alive in the activity. And it is the receiver who has provided the opportunity for us to feel this good, so we feel loving in return.

The social value of giving has been recognized throughout human history. For thousands of years, some native cultures have engaged in the potlatch, a complex ceremony that celebrates extreme giving. Although cultural interpretations vary, often the status of a given family in a clan or village was dictated not by who had the most possessions, but instead by who gave away the most. The more lavish and bankrupting the potlatch, the more prestige gained by the host family...."

I have a theory about gift giving.  If you do not receive gifts when you are a child, you do not learn how to give.  To give lavishly to a child and you will teach them how to give.

Why Do We Give Gifts at Christmas?

It is hard to imagine celbrating Christmas in the modern world without thinking about giving gifts. But, have you ever thought to yourself, “Why do we give gifts at Christmas?” In some ways, the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is a very ancient tradition. In other ways, giving gifts at Christmas is a relatively new development, as well.

In the Christian religion, the practice of giving gifts at Christmas is traced back to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that were given to the Christ child by the three Magi. The magi were kings from the East, wise men who traveled a great distance following a star, to find the Christ child and to bring him gifts. The visit of the Magi to the Christ child was originally celebrated on the Feast of Epiphany on January 6th. Over time, the tradition of giving gifts came to be more associated with Christmas than with Epiphany. It is the time from Christmas to Epiphany in the Church calendar - from December 25th through January 6th - that is recognized as the “twelve days of Christmas” from the old Christmas carol.

To be certain, the ancient Church did not “celebrate” Christmas as much as it “observed” Christmas as a holy day. It wasn’t really until the modern era. The tradition of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas became more and more popular as the middle ages ended and the modern era began. Various countries and peoples began to make gift-giving a regular part of the holy day (or “holiday”) over a period of time. By the time the Americas were settled, giving gifts at Christmas was practiced by many of the settlers. The early Dutch settlers to America introduced St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, to the new world. The early French and English settlers, in contrast, were more likely to give gifts at New Year’s or at Epiphany.

Ultimately, a common Christmas culture developed in which gifts were given on Christmas. In the nineteenth century, the idea of gift giving took on new dimensions, as the works of O. Henry, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Nast all helped to shape our concepts of Santa Claus and other aspects of the holiday.

Today, we all give gifts at Christmas for our own reasons. For some, it is a way to celebrate the Christian holy day. For others, it is a special time to let family and friends know that you care by giving gifts. At times, giving gifts at Christmas becomes almost mechanical, and a chore; when this happens, it is worth stepping aside for a few moments to consider why exactly you give gifts at Christmas.

How Can I Make My Child’s Birthday Special When It Falls On or Near Christmas Day?

Having a birthday on or near Christmas day is special. Not only is Christmas the “most wonderful time of the year” for you, it is extra-special for your child. Still, there are certain things that you can do to make your child’s birthday special when it falls on Christmas days.

One of the best things that you can do is to distinguish the birthday from Christmas completely. You can make a point to celebrate your child’s birthday perhaps on the weekend before or after Christmas. It is not uncommon for children who have a birthday in the middle of a week to celebrate on a weekend, and this is often a good option for children whose birthdays are on Christmas as well. Christmas decorations should not be used for a birthday party, either.

Another way to keep Christmas and your child’s birthday separate is to think about the gifts you give and the way you give them. If you wrap her birthday presents in Christmas paper, it is certainly convenient, but can take away some of the specialness. Also, if your child has a Christmas list and gets things only from that list for her birthday, it can take away from the birthday as well. On the other hand, if your child wants a larger and more expensive gift, it is probably OK to give it to her for both her birthday and Christmas, as long as she understands that she probably wouldn’t have been able to get it at all if she hadn’t been born when she was.

Some families have found other ways to make their child’s Christmas birthday special. Some families choose to celebrate a Christmas birthday in June, so that the birthday has its own time altogether. Other families, for whom religion plays a strong role, treat it as a special celebration, as the shared birthday of their child as well as Jesus.

The most important thing that you can do to make your child’s birthday special when it falls on Christmas day is to make sure to talk about it with your child. Find out how he feels about it. Ask him what bothers him about it, and what doesn’t. Try to figure out together what ways you can make the birthday more special.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!

Christmas isn't that far away for those organised people that start Christmas shopping early! Many people do hope for more than presents at Christmas. We want to somehow return to a time in our childhood (or some other good time in the past), when life was simpler and made more sense, before the troubles of adult life arrived. We feel sure that behind all the fun and decorations, there must somehow be a message, something more, some key to life, hope and happiness.

Giving a personalised gift this Christmas will give the recipient a warm fuzzy glow they'll love! They will know you have spent time and effort researching and buying their present with a great deal of thought and planning. They'll know how much they mean to you! Personalised gifts are well received by childrens and adults alike! If you can't find something personalised here for the one you love; how about one of our unusual items that also make wonderful Christmas gifts!