Debbie Jacob
IF YOU doubt the old saying, “Giving is better than receiving,” you haven’t mastered the fine art of Christmas gift-giving. Christmas offers the chance to make someone remember the holiday forever, or to fail miserably and make people feel guilty and ungrateful for not liking the presents they receive.
Contrary to what you might think, it’s not the thought that counts if the gifts you buy only please you.
Gifts can only be appreciated if they are meaningful to the receiver, and author Beth Kempton writes about how to make that happen in her book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy.
Kempton says gifts should be mindful, meaningful and memorable. Mindful gifts connect to the recipient’s experiences; meaningful gifts connect to the recipient’s values and memorable ones are so special they can’t be forgotten.
If you get gift-giving right, your gifts are appreciated emotionally and financially. Studies show that people who receive unwanted gifts always feel the gift giver spent far less than the actual price paid.
Christmas can be a real learning experience. Finding the perfect Christmas gift requires imagination, creativity, communication and empathy. Gifts should also be affordable. It’s important to set a realistic Christmas budget long before the holiday and then stick to it.
Christmas should also challenge us to reach beyond giving gifts to family and friends by including some meaningful community service.
My daughter, Ijanaya, always had innovative gift-giving ideas. One year she asked everyone who wanted to buy her a gift to donate the money to a charity of her choice.
Another Christmas we trimmed our list of friends – which is always possible to do – and gave a dinner and a movie ticket to the gas station attendant who always spoke to us about movies he wanted to see. She made small food packages with items from our neighbourhood bakery.
Volunteering at Christmas through your church or with an NGO brings added meaning to the holiday, and this often costs nothing but your time. Donations are always welcome too.
The real challenge to create a meaningful Christmas starts at home with your children.
Gift-giving becomes even more special if it is a family affair. Family-cherished Christmas cookie, cake or candy recipes can become an enjoyable gift, especially if they’re presented on a special serving plate or in a canister that can be used after the holidays.
My mom mastered the fine art of baking gifts by turning her German recipes for sugar cookies, rum and pecan balls into an elegant display presented on a crystal cake plate for my brothers’ teachers and mine every year. She wrapped the plated cookies in transparent cellophane – not an environmentally-conscious choice today.
Again, this is only meaningful, mindful and memorable if you can think of people who would appreciate this gift.
Matching a handmade gift to the right person can be unbelievably fulfilling. For many years, I bought pieces of flannel cloth and crocheted around the edges
