Due to the convention of gift-giving during every winter holiday, especially Christmas, some people may only give presents just for the sake of it. Because of this, the act of gift giving has become impersonalized, has lost its meaning, and has become more commercialized. What was once the season where families gather around to celebrate their faith, reminisce past stories, and excitingly open Christmas presents, gift giving during these times is often materialistic by nature.
With that said, many people have deemed giving a meaningful gift as a form of art and love language. This is because it entails that the giver has listened, understood, and taken into deep consideration what the recipient desired the most. Take note that giving a meaningful gift isn’t about buying the most luxurious item available in the market. In fact, you can provide a meaningful gift without burning a hole in your pocket.
To help you out, here are some tips for meaningful Christmas gift giving you can apply when deciding what gift you’re going to give your friends, co-workers, loved ones, or those who just gave birth:
1. Get to know the person
As mentioned, a meaningful gift is called as such because it reflects how well you really know the recipient. What this means is that you should tailor the gift to what the recipient needed the most in their life. You shouldn’t buy the same item for everyone, but you should give extra thought to buying special gifts that are personal. By doing so, you’ll have a gift that’ll be well-received.
In fact, research shows that people buying meaningful gifts don’t exactly buy the same gift for two people. For instance, even if you bought your father a much more expensive gift than your mother but the gifts are valued by the recipient, then they wouldn’t make any comparisons.
Thus, getting to know the person prior to buying a gift means that you shouldn’t buy a present based on what you like. But it should be grounded on what the recipient would love to receive. By doing so, you’ll have a more meaningful gift.
2. Give an experience
Did you know that a gift doesn’t necessarily entail something material? On the contrary, people usually remember experiences more than they remember certain items. This is because, by giving an experience, you’ll allow the person something that’ll be embedded in their memories, which will certainly add value to their life.
So plan a hiking trip, workshop, wine tasting, yoga classes, a concert, and many more activities for the recipient or your loved one. Take note that you should, again, tailor the experience to the recipient’s hobbies and interests. You wouldn’t want to give someone a hiking trip who doesn’t like the outdoors.
3. Go homemade
If you have the luxury of time and some DIY skills, then you can try making some homemade gifts. What’s best about homemade gifts is the fact that it also entails you exert some effort and thought into making them. Also, you can opt to make it more personalized, so the gifts will surely be one of a kind, which makes it even more meaningful.
To give you a head start, here are a few meaningful homemade Christmas gifts you can give to your friends and loved ones:
- Candles
- Knitted blankets
- String art
- Engraved mugs
- Colorful bookmarks
4. Donate in their name
Research shows that happier people give more to charity. This means that donating in their name, especially a charity or organization that they’ve valued for quite some time, makes them even happier. (3)
Additionally, another study shows that those who regularly donate to charities are even happier if it’s donated in a personalized manner, like through their family members or friends, than simply giving the donation anonymously. This is because not only are you helping what the recipient believes in, but you’re also showing that you support their goals and ideals, making the receiver feel more valued. Thus, if you’re planning to give a present to someone who’s known for their charitable works, donate in their name.
Final words
As you can see, a meaningful gift doesn’t rely on the item itself. Even though as cliche as it sounds, it’s actually the thought that counts. This is especially true in today’s time when almost everyone has been consumed by consumerism that they forgot what the holiday season is all about––the act of giving meaningful gifts to those whom you’re thankful that they’re in your life.
Fortunately, with the tips mentioned in this post, you’re now on the right track to giving someone a meaningful and special gift. Conveniently, these principles can be applied in all gift-giving seasons, not just Christmas.
References
- “How To Make Gift Giving More Meaningful This Year”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertfarrington/2019/12/13/how-to-make-gift-giving-more-meaningful-this-year/?sh=47570ab92024
- “5 Scientifically Proven Ways to Make Your Gifts Meaningful”, Source: https://www.livescience.com/52989-tips-making-gifts-meaningful-psychology.html
- “Key to Happiness: Give Away Money”, Source: https://www.livescience.com/2376-key-happiness-give-money.html
- “Social giving makes us happier”, Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/470149
