Why do most people feel the need to give gifts? This question can be traced back to prehistoric times, where early humans would exchange items to form alliances. Since then, gift giving has evolved and become more widespread. Many American holidays now involve the expectation of a gift. However, if a present is expected, is it really a gift? A gift is something that is given willingly to someone without payment. However, is the gift given willingly if society expects you to give the gift? Is there no payment if you are expecting it to benefit you? Overall, this means that something that is given as a present may not actually be a gift.

Gift giving has not just become more widespread over time; the reasons to give a gift have changed. Originally, gifts were exchanged to spread peace between two people. It then changed so that gift-giving is a religious or cultural practice. People in places like ancient Greece would give gifts to their gods or as charity, because that was what their community and culture expected. During the Industrial Revolution, mass production became possible. This resulted in cheaper and more standardized gifts. This also caused large corporations to start marketing and promoting their products as gifts, and to make holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day more focused on gift-giving. As American society became more focused on the pursuit of money, the holidays and presents became more focused on money. When shopping malls and the internet made gifts even more accessible and advertised the holiday season has become even more focused on purchasing and giving gifts.

​There is a difference between giving and gifting. To give something is a much broader term, meaning to freely transfer the ownership of something. This can apply to physical gifts, but also to your time or your kindness. A gift is something that you can give, but it is specifically about physical things. This does not mean that gifting something is worse than giving something, it just means that there is less you can gift than there is you can give.

​There is a reason that the holiday season is called the “season of giving”, and not the season of gifting. At its core, the season is not just about buying and giving gifts; it is also about giving and spreading kindness and time. This means that although corporations may urge you to purchase gifts based on their monetary value, you can try and give something that is significant specifically to the person you are gifting it to. The most valuable thing you have is your time, so you can share that gift with others.

​The holidays were not always about buying things for others; many holidays originated as religious days to come together, rest, and feast. Although you should give what you want to give, you also should remember what the holidays were about before they became materialistic.

The point I am trying to make is that the holidays are about more than just exchanging gifts; they are about being generous and relaxing with your friends, your family, or your community. My suggestion is to focus on giving something of yours to others, not on the superficial pursuit of social clout. You can control what the holidays mean to you, so you can decide how they will influence you.