The holiday season is right around the corner and with it comes family, love, and, of course, presents. Giving and receiving gifts from loved ones can bring hope and joy amid this difficult year. Here’s a guide on how to give the most memorable holiday gift possible.
Here are some factors to keep in mind while shopping:
1. Practicality: One solid strategy for gift-giving is to think about something practical that would bring joy to your recipient’s life. Think back to conversations when they might have mentioned a specific book or outfit they’ve always wanted. If you can gift something practical that also brings back memories, even better!
2. Originality: Now, it’s nice to give something practical at times, but don’t be too practical — a new toothbrush, for example, probably won’t elicit much more than a courtesy ‘thank-you.’ There’s a perfect balance between both giving a gift that would be useful and that they wouldn’t have simply bought themselves in their weekly grocery shopping trip.
3. Unexpectedness: Surprising and unorthodox gifts are sometimes the best to receive. If you don’t necessarily want to give a practical gift, another sure-fire strategy is to give a gift the receiver would never expect — something you can’t find in typical gift listicles!
4. Meaningfulness: Of course, one of the best gifts one could receive is one full of sentimental value. Nothing can compare to a song written from the heart or a knitted blanket that took weeks or even months to complete. A gift doesn’t have to be expensive or flashy to be loving. Simply reflect on why you love the person, and you’ll know what they would find meaningful.
5. Experiences: The perfect gift doesn’t have to be materialistic. Especially for those who profess yearly that they “don’t really want anything specific,” perhaps planning a picnic, buying tickets to a sports game, or ice skating is all that is necessary. Remember: a physical present may break or get lost, but the memory of a touching outing will last forever.
6. Bad Gifts: This is a guide on how to give great gifts, but I must also caution you against bad gifts. As you go shopping, you may be tempted to get something you know you would enjoy, but you need to remember who you are shopping for. If there is even the slightest hesitation that the recipient may not enjoy it — even if you’d love the gift yourself — it is best to find something else.
There are many ways of showing somone you care about them, and gift-giving is a perfect way of going about it. It doesn’t matter where the present comes from, how much it costs, or how long they’ve been wishing for it. The meaning behind it is what really counts in the end. So, go out and embark on the journey of gift-giving. Happy holidays!
