It’s a beautiful December morning and all the little children in the world start waking up one by one. As they slowly rise from their beds, something catches their eyes under the decorative tree in their home — it’s a pile of wrapped boxes.
Like clockwork, they run towards these colorful and creatively wrapped boxes and carefully and viciously unwrap and open them. To their delight, it is a new toy, some new clothes, perhaps a new pet carefully placed in an animal crate. Whatever it is in that box, it made the children happy.
This is a classic example of gift-giving in our culture and it varies per person, culture, history, religion, and etc. It might be a birthday, Christmas day, or even something as simple as a congratulatory type of gift.
But have you ever wondered why we like to give gifts or why we give gifts at certain days or events? Read on to find out.
Tradition
Most of the time, it is a tradition to give each other gifts at different events and days of the year. It has, in a way, become a ritual to give someone gifts during the important days or events of their lives. For example, if your friend is expecting a baby, it is customary to give her a gift that she and her husband could use in raising their child. Traditions last a long time and it is no surprise that we continue doing these things, as they have been cemented into our lives and culture.
Milestones and accomplishments
Whenever a special person reaches a milestone in their lives, we celebrate that moment with a party with friends and family or by giving them a gift. It is not every day that this person gets to experience such a milestone, so it’s about right to celebrate.
The same can be said with the accomplishments one makes in life. This is somewhat similar to milestones but has less impact. An example of this would be hitting a new record for a number of sales in the company or learning how to cook a specific dish. While their impact may be less significant, they’re still momentous occasions that deserve to be celebrated.
Tokens of appreciation and friendship
It doesn’t always take a grand event in a person’s life to give gifts. Sometimes, it could just be a token of appreciation and a symbol of friendship. For example, your neighboor decided to help you unpack and move into your new home. It’s a simple yet sweet gesture. You can buy your friend something simple. For example, you can buy high-quality food hampers and gove it to them as a token of appreciation for their help and hard work. The same can also be said for dear old friends. You may simply remember them for no particular reason and get them a present.
When it comes to giving gifts, we’ve come to appreciate all the friendships and relationships that we’ve formed. It is in the simple act of gift-giving that we realize how lucky and loved we are, and it is in this simple act that we repay them for the time and love they have given us.
