The giving of gifts with or without the expectation of receiving something in return has been a social tradition for thousands of years and is based on religious practices to honor a favored person or god. Gift giving has evolved into a more secular practice but still involves ceremony and the gathering of family and friends. The tradition of giving costly and impressive gifts has been upheld since the birth of Jesus and is maintained by cultural expectations.
History
The giving or exchanging of gifts has been practiced for thousands of years. Gifts of inheritance upon death began as a way to pass land to a preferred relative. Gifts for special events or ceremonies, and gifts as sacrifices to gods evolved into today's gift exchanges for holidays, birthdays and weddings.
Function
Gift giving celebrates and honors an event of significance, and is a form of communication or exchange between two people or groups. Gifts can also be a way to provide someone with something they would not ordinarily buy for themselves. Gift giving has its own process of etiquette. According to Emily Post, hand-written thank-you notes are an expected response for receiving a gift, but telephone and email may substitute for written notes in certain circumstances.
Types
Gifts may be monetary, objects such as jewelry or toys, or charitable contributions. Monetary gifts include cash and gift cards. According to the National Retail Federation, 67 percent of Americans purchased gift cards in 2008.
Corporate gift giving is when a business gives its clients, vendors or employees a token of appreciation, which may range from token items with company logos to baskets of food and flowers.
Features
The primary feature of personal gift giving is wrapping and packaging of gifts. Gift givers may put significant effort into preparing a stylish and appealing package to present to the recipient. Wrapping may include shiny or patterned papers or bags, ribbons, bows, tags and other add-ons. In Chinese ceremonies, wrapping gifts in red paper is thought to bring luck to the recipient.
According to the National Retail Federation, winter holiday spending accounts for more than 75 percent of gift expenditures in the United States. Mother's Day, Easter, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day and gifts for back to school and Superbowl parties make up the remainder of money spent on gifts.
Effects
Gift giving has economic and social effects. In a consumerist society, the spending of money to purchase gifts for giving provides added income to retailers. Businesses related to gifts, such as gift baskets, gift delivery and wrapping services and personal shopper services add jobs and funds to the economy. According to Heifer International, gifts to charity benefit the wider community and society as a whole.
Considerations
Gift giving can be a financial burden and may result in individuals going into debt to provide the desired gifts to others. Social expectations of a large quantity of lavish gifts may diminish the intent or meaning of gift giving. Cultural pressure to compete with others in giving the most expensive or desirable gift has lead to long lines, fights, stampedes and personal injuries at retail stores during the Christmas shopping season.
Government employees may not be allowed to accept gifts worth more than a certain dollar amount. For example, in the State of Ohio, state employees are not allowed to accept a gift worth more than a token amount from any single source in a calendar year due to ethical concerns.
Benefits
Gift giving benefits individuals and families and has a direct impact on the overall economy. Individuals benefit from the spirituality and altruism behind giving to others and may enjoy the process of shopping for and identifying an ideal gift for a recipient. Families may benefit from coming together to celebrate the ceremony of exchanging and unwrapping gifts chosen to commemorate a meaningful event. Economic benefits of gift giving include increased consumer spending on luxury goods and services and related items such as packaging, shipping and delivery of gifted items.
