Prima Changwatchai

Gift-giving is one of the most common holiday traditions. However, the cultural obligation to give gifts contributes to stress for both gift-givers and gift-receivers alike.

The holiday season has long revolved around themes of familial togetherness and heartwarming joy – often expressed through the popular tradition of winter gift-giving. It isn’t hard to understand why. Receiving a well-researched gift from a close friend or family member can be a touching demonstration of the gift-giver’s dedication and care. But it’s important to take into account the other side of this scenario: the potential stress that comes with both finding and receiving such a gift, highlighting the negative aspects of the cultural pressure to give gifts during the holidays.

Most of this pressure comes from finding the perfect gift – which, for some, is a demanding job. Practicality, personal touch, and sentimental value all need to be taken into consideration to show the gift-giver’s effort. It can’t be too cheap, or too impersonal, or too unwieldy — the list goes on and on. Many gift-givers, such as high schoolers and many other young people, are also limited by budget, adding another layer of complication to the selection process. Additionally, those who already received a nice gift from someone might feel pressured to give that person a gift of equal value to showcase their appreciation. For these reasons, studies have shown that the majority of people planning to give a holiday gift are stressed about the task.

Miscommunications during the gift-giving process can also lead to awkward situations for gift recipients, such as when someone receives a gift but hasn’t prepared anything in return. Recipients could also struggle with dissatisfaction at a low-effort gift, even if they appreciate the sentiment.

When gift-givers have to jump through all of these hoops to find a gift that may or may not be fully appreciated by the recipient, the values of friendship and generosity expressed through gift-giving are reduced to resentment and dread. But this stress can be avoided through organization. Gift-givers should communicate clear expectations and utilize wish lists before any gift-giving takes place. One example of this is the Secret Santa system, where a group of people are each given a wish list of gift ideas to choose from for their assigned person. The group usually establishes a price limit as well to ensure that there are no severe differences in the value of each gift. This system eliminates a lot of the guilt and labor usually attached to traditional holiday gift-giving.

Alternatively, if both parties agree, spending time together or enjoying other holiday traditions could be an equally fun but far less stressful alternative. Although gift-giving is a fun tradition for those who want to participate, no one should be pressured into it.

No matter the method used, removing this pressure is essential to holiday enjoyment. Gift-giving is a beautiful tradition – there’s no reason to ruin it with stress.