Christmas Gift-Giving
December 9, 2009 by Lillie
Jesus is the reason for the season. Christmas is celebrating the coming of Christ to earth as a tiny babe in a manger to give us all eternal life. That should always be our focus.
However, gift-giving has long been part of our Christmas traditions. The Wise Men worshipped and gave gifts to the Christ Child. The tradition of Santa Claus came from Saint Nicholas, a bishop known for giving gifts to the poor.
Giving gifts to family and friends is a way to show our love for them. Our gifts don’t have to be lavish or expensive. In fact, the best gifts are often simple and inexpensive.
- Coupons that can be redeemed for babysitting, shopping, running errands, or other chores can be a real treat for a busy mom, an individual with limitations that make those chores difficult, or anyone who enjoys being pampered.
- Volunteering together to help with a charity toy drive or a party for disadvantaged children can create special Christmas memories for everyone involved.
- Recipients cherish handmade gifts and value the time and effort the giver puts into creating the gift.
- When you buy gifts, choose them to match the recipient’s interests, even if the cost is low and the gift isn’t a typical choice. The purpose isn’t to impress people with how much money you spend or how glamorous the gift is. The purpose is to show your love and give pleasure to someone you care about.
Of course, I may be just a tad biased, but I can’t think of a better gift than a book. Choosing a title and genre that appeals to the reader on your list demonstrates that you pay attention to their interests. For suggestions on great books (she said modestly), visit these pages of my Web site:
- My books—books I’ve written
- My clients’ books—books I’ve edited for clients
- My guests’ books—books I’ve reviewed or by authors I’ve interviewed
If you don’t find the perfect book there, you can also find information about great books at the following sites:
- Books We Love—promotional site for authors of books is all genres and formats, with a contest going on now
- Goodreads—reader community with reviews and ratings from readers
- Nothing Binding—site featuring independent authors of books in all genres
- Book Hitch—search engine for books of all kinds
You can find equally wonderful gifts for people on your list with interests other than reading. What does he love to do? What is her favorite indulgence? What would smiles on their faces? When you can answer those questions, gift-giving is made easy.
Don’t forget to download my gift to you: Scripture/prayer cards that have a Bible verse on one side and a prayer on the other. You can download a PDF file and print the cards on your own computer printer. Reading one of the cards can create a brief moment of devotion in a busy day.
Wishing you a blessed and joyous Christmas!
photo credit: wolfsavard
The special X Mas season is coming and what best gift to give the kids is a big question mark ? Giving gifts to family and friends, especially kids is a big joy in itself. The best way would be to give out coupons or gift vouchers that can be redeemed by the receiver to buy anything of their choice. Books also make an ideal choice, prayer books, scriptures etc. Handmade gifts goes a long way, as it helps to appreciate the hands that have made them too.
Paul,
Thanks for summarizing my post with a little different spin.
I think you have definitely used all of the Scripture on your blog to support Jesus as the reason for the season, which I appreciate. I remember giving coupons as gifts to my family members before I had a job, and I think that it is a very sweet way to give a gift.
C,
I’m glad you appreciate the Scriptures.
Thanks for sharing your experience of using coupons. Often our loved ones appreciate our time and energy and attention most of all.
In Germany, we do not have Santa Claus come by on X-Mas.
We call him St. Nicholas and he “shows up” on December 6th. We would put one shoe outside on the night of the 5th to the 6th, and if we were “good children” the boots would be filled with candies.
Dash,
Thanks for sharing your Christmas tradition. Why does St. Nicholas appear on December 6th? What is the significance of that date?
Your comment ended up in spam again. Theoretically after I approve one comment, others shouldn’t be moderated. But if someone has been tagged by Akismet for spam, sometimes future comments keep going into spam. I will retrieve them; however, sometimes I get in a hurry so if you ever leave a comment and it doesn’t appear, let me know.
Of course! Books are a perfect gift for any occasion. It has always been in my wish list every year. Plus, they’re cheaper compared to ordinary gifts like gadgets or clothes. (perfect for this “Christmas in recession”):D
Happy Holidays!
Louise,
Your comments always end up in spam, and I’m not sure why. I try to retrieve them, but sometimes I get in a hurry and overlook legitimate comments when I delete spam.
Books are relatively inexpensive gifts that can bring a lot of joy to those who receive them. I hope you get lots of great books this Christmas.
Hi Lillie,
Every Christmas we have this Exchange gift activities. We get to pick a name and then prepare a gift for him/her. We call it the Manito/Manita! I just don’t know if you’re familiar with that. Just want to share it with you.
Thanks for the free books.;) I’m a book lover and I enjoy reading so much.
Thanks for the tips about gift giving. You’re right. Its not about how glamorous the gift is. What is important is that you remember that person.
Betsy,
Tell me more about Manito/Manita. Do you do this in your family, workplace, where? Do you make the gifts yourself? What do the words Manito/Manita mean?
We did this at school, in the workplace and in the family. It’s a tradition, sometimes we buy the gifts and sometimes we make them. We don’t reveal our manita/manito until the day of the party. Manita means a girl friend and manito means a boy friend…
Betsy,
Thanks for sharing about this tradition. Where do you live?
What’s exciting is we do the “something” game before the day of the party. Like for example, the theme of the day is “something red” then we prepare something red for our manita/manito and then leave it in a box with their name…
You should try it…its fun!
Betsy,
It does sound like fun.
Your welcome. I’m from the Philippines. Just thought that you I could share some fun this Christmas!;)
I enjoyed reading this post. I agree that gifts shouldn’t be expensive. What counts the most is the thought of giving. For me, I enjoy the part of giving rather than of receiving. Seeing the joy in their eyes is such a wonderful sight!
Andrew,
One of the things we sometimes forget is how important it is to give others the joy of giving to us. It’s great when we are the givers and give pleasure to those we love, but they get the same joy of giving as we do. We shouldn’t forget or neglect to give them that joy as well.
Betsy,
It was fun learning about this Philippine tradition. Sometimes we have a Secret Santa—people in a workplace or other group draw names early in the Christmas season then gives presents to the person whose name they’ve drawn. Usually they give several small presents throughout the season and aren’t revealed until Christmas. The gifts are usually small and inexpensive; the fun is in trying to keep the person from finding out who the Secret Santa is.
That’s nice. That is like another version of our exchange gifts. Only yours has only one Santa. Thanks for sharing that one.;)
Betsy,
Each person is Santa to one other person. Isn’t that the way your tradition works?
Lillie, you are right, books are always a great gift. They work on Christmas and on other occasions as well. I for one usually prefer the physical books but I have recently discovered how great ebooks are! No time wasted on waiting for the book to be delivered, easy transportation and so on. Plus, if you want to give it to someone, you no longer need to order weeks ahead
Although I thought I’d never be converted to ebooks,I am actually considering buying a reader for them. 
.-= Alina Popescu´s last blog ..WoBM’s Essential Lines from 2009 =-.
Alina,
Glad to see you as a convert to e-books.
I’ve been an e-book fan since 1999, when Stroke of Luck was picked up by an e-book publisher, and I started educating myself on e-books and e-publishing. I seldom read print anymore. I have two e-book readers: a Kindle I use most of the time and an eBookWise I use in limited light.
You’re completely right. The real reason for christmas is the religious symbolism – and this reason alone should ensure that our christmas is always happy, regardless of what gifts we receive.
.-= Si@Leadership´s last blog ..Mintzberg – Distinguish Leadership From Management At Your Peril =-.
Si,
Amen to that.
Right Lillie, that’s how our tradition works…;)
Betsy,
Then your tradition and our Secret Santa are very similar.
[...] Christmas Gift-Giving—Though it’s important to focus on Jesus as the reason for the season, giving gifts at [...]
I like your understanding of Christmas. Though many complain about the commercialization of the holiday, we can all choose how we will keep Christmas.
This year we scraped which meant that everything we’re giving has truly been mulled over from not just a financial perspective, but the heart.
Merry Christmas!
Matt,
Excellent point that we all choose how to celebrate. We can let ourselves be caught up in the commercialism or we can focus on the birth of Jesus Christ.
Gifts from the heart are the best. Too often people want to impress others with expensive or fancy gifts when the recipients would prefer something simple that came from the giver’s heart.
May we continue to cherish the spirit of giving even when the season is over. There is still a lot to look forward to for the years to come. More joy and more blessings all throughout!
.-= Amelia@christmas gifts´s last blog ..Improving Up Your Visibility Custom Promotional Paper Clips And Letter Openers =-.
Amelia,
Sometimes the best gifts are given for no special reason. People expect gifts at Christmas and birthdays, but a gift, even something very small, can have more impact when it’s not expected.
This year I was pounded with books. I think I have got enough for the entire year. Definitely different Christmas for me this time. Hope you had a good one too. Belated wishes Lillie.
.-= Alan@Tulsa Real Estate´s last blog ..Winter and Holiday Home Tips =-.
Alan,
Books enough for a year sounds like a great Christmas! Thanks for the good wishes—my Christmas was lovely.
I have to agree that gifts that appear to have taken some time and thought, that also show an understanding of the recipient’s personality and likes are always the best. Anybody can go to the mall and just grab something off the shelf. But the gift that took time and thought is always more appreciated.
Right, Tammy. Even a simple, inexpensive gift is special when it’s chosen with care and based on the recipient’s interests.
My wife and I will start a tradition with our 20-month-old baby girl. On Christmas Day morning, instead of merely focusing on tearing open our gifts, we will start the day right by singing the “Happy Birthday” for Jesus.
I like it! Teach the kids the true meaning of the season. We do the same kind of thing, however I read the Christmas story to them, I’ve got a little book that’s got the whole story. Though you could read that passage out of the bible, in Luke. Then we go rip open the presents!
Matt@Good Christmas Gifts recently posted..Early Childhood Education – Acquiring Sign Language
Matt,
Reading the Christmas story from the Bible is a wonderful tradition.
Alex,
What a wonderful tradition to start with your daughter.
I really like the idea of coupons, because it’s a special gift that shows the person really cares about you. Enough to take time to do something for you. It’s from the heart, and those are the best kind. I agree with you that it’s important to find something that’s important to that person. Thanks!
Matt@Good Christmas Gifts recently posted..Early Childhood Education – Acquiring Sign Language
Matt,
Something that another person might think silly could be the perfect gift for a loved one. If you know what they like and what they need, you can do something for them that is better than expensive jewelry or toys.
I`m also blogging about gift vouchers and i found the information provided by you very interesting.
Shaun,
I’m glad you found the post helpful.
Gift-giving is indeed an integral part of Christmas celebrations. In our family, we make it a point to personalize each and every gift that we give. as well, my husband and I have made it a tradition to sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus before we tear open our gifts every Christmas morning. After all, that’s what the holiday season is really about,right?
Steve,
Great to hear you’re focusing on the meaning of Christmas in your gift-giving.
Gift ideas never get old. I’m definitely a fan of personalized gifts from the heart, but wow these tips are spot on. Thanks.
Jessie,
I’m glad you enjoyed the post.