Avoid Bad Holiday or Birthday Gifts and Presents
Don't Give the Presents that No One Wants
May 22, 2008
So it's time to return that Cheese Appreciation for Dummies manual you got over the holidays, or was it Learn to Moonwalk in 12 Easy Steps? Or maybe you're not happy with the over-sized sweater in orange and mauve with outsized ornamental zipper? (Why do people suddenly buy the most hideous clothes as gifts over the holidays?)
Poor Present Purchases and Bad Gift Giving
And what about that automated plastic cleaner that looks like a spaceship from an '80s B movie and now just sits there in the middle of the kitchen making disturbing grinding, whirring noises? Why does a Mystery Machine wall mount embossed with gold suddenly sound like a good thing at the last minute?
It really doesn’t have to be this way; just keep it simple, plan ahead, and don’t get overwhelmed or impatient. There are enough maniacs out there running around at the last minute, and you don’t need to be one of them. After all, you don’t want your gift giving legacy to be, "here, have this big expensive piece of junk! I don't know really what it is, or what it does, or if you even needed one, but, frankly, I don't really care... I had to get you something, and I ran out of time to make it kind of semi-interesting, or have anything to do with you personally. So enjoy! Love, Aunt Betty.”
This speaks more of a chore and less of doing something nice for someone (which is, presumably, the point). So use some consideration. After all, giving a gift is meant to show the recipient that you care about him/her, are thinking of him/her, consider him/her to be kind of a groovy person.
Gift Giving Hints and Tips and Present Etiquette
So, in the spirit of better gift-giving, some of the best advice is to "create a list, set a spending limit, and stick to it," says Hilka Klinkenberg, founder of Etiquette International. But when in doubt of these overreaching precepts, the following tips may shed some light.
- Don't give low-carb or healthy eating books. Everyone needs a little R+R, even if they are trying to shed a few pounds. So go easy on the healthy eating stuff; people generally already know about pitfalls of putting on holiday pounds without you reminding them.
- Don't give gift certificates to places recipients would never intend to go. Just because you've got a certificate to Bob's Greasy Cavern of Fun Fried Foods from last year's holiday gift exchange doesn't mean you can hand it off like some hot potato or communicable disease.
- Don't give clothes. No one wants Uncle Jimmie's hand-me-down socks or undies! And your sister-in-law obviously has no taste in sweaters so don't give them to Jimmy and expect him to wear them to school.
- No cheap candy! There is enough of this hanging on Christmas trees and stuffed in stockings to satisfy even the most dependent of sugar junkies so don't waste the wrapping paper. (Parents will especially appreciate this time when bedtime rolls around.)
- No extensive accessories or assemblies. Unless it is a new home or home theater system, no one wants to build anything during the holidays – scale models and puzzles excluded. Unless it is really cool, like a time travel machine, stay away from extensive assemblies. Further, if a gift doesn't work without buying additional accessories (not also given) it's bit like giving the gift of a big fat frozen lump of poo. "Merry Christmas, Sally, have fun playing with this lump I got you. It doesn't do much, but there is always next year."
So don't be the guy at the party that gives bad gifts, attracting the marked ire of friends and family with your lame excuse for thoughtfulness. And don't be the shallow joker who says, "I dunno, my wife (husband) picked it out." Just let these tips guide you to the art of better gift giving and relax and enjoy the holidays, any holiday. But don't let holidays be the limit to good gift giving, just remember that the key above all else a little thought and planning, which always goes further than an open wallet and no sentiment. After all, the gift you give is an extension of how you feel toward a person, so approach the act with the attention it deserves.
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