CHRISTMAS GIFTS IDEAS

CHRISTMAS GIFTS IDEAS

Christmas and New Year are fast approaching. All of us might be undecided what to buy and where to why.

This is a complete guide of journalist’s questions who, what, why, where, and how as applied to buying of gifts for Christmas. These questions are vital in deciding in gift giving also.

We will consider these and similar questions in this article.

A gift should be purchased from the point-of-view of the recipient not that of the giver’s. We might like action films but the recipient may not. We may like classical music, but the recipient may not.

The most important question in choosing an ideal gift for a person is, of course, his or her age and sex.

Children, obviously, would like different gifts, for example, toys and video games, than senior people who may like different things, for example, classical music. The who also relates to sex of the recipient. First of all some things are only meant for a particular sex like ladies dress and gents dress. Moreover, there is subtle difference in their likes and dislikes also, even in this age of equality of sexes. A woman may prefer jewelry and dress while a wallet may be a perfect gift for a man.

After the recipient’s age and sex, his or her relationship with the gift giver is also very important. A gift for husband/wife would be different from a gift to boss or colleague which will be different from a gift to a friend. Young people should be very careful in the matter of selecting gifts for their romantic partners.   

What to buy also depends on our emotional attachment to the person for whom a gift is being selected. As mentioned above, sweethearts deserve especial consideration. However, there is another dimension to this. In the matter of gift selection for the persons whom we know intimately we should also know or try to know what one would like to have, what one secretly wishes for, and what one is expecting. Our young child may be dying for a bicycle, while our girl friend may be dreaming of having the dress which is so tantalizingly displayed in the window of the shop by which we together pass nearly everyday. For gifts to such persons we should be keenly aware of their wishes.

A gift is to be brand new and of reputable brand and bought from a good shop or store. One should try not to buy cheaper or bad quality stuff. The gift should be properly gift-wrapped and accompanied by a gift card. If possible, the price tag should be removed.

If you have to send gifts out of town or out of country then mail-order companies and internet sellers are useful. In fact, now-a-days internet sellers have such beautiful product descriptions and ease of payment that it may be the best option as regards where to buy.

Finally, it is also a good idea, wherever possible, to include the gift voucher which entitles return/exchange of the gift, for example, if it does not fit, if it is a dress.

Wherever suitable, and especially if one is not sure what to give, to give gift vouchers or gift certificates redeemable for products or services. One could also give vacation trips etc. One could also give a pass to some club, gym, or swimming pool. These are available with leading sellers in various denominations.

A good idea is to give personalized gifts. The benefit here is that then the receiver does not bother about the cost of the gift but seeing his/her name/photo on the gift treasures it.

A last resort gift is to give cash or check. Here one has to be careful whether this is appropriate or not. One could give cash or heavy tip as a gift to a waiter, driver, night watchman etc. One could also give cash to intimate persons saying that ‘you buy whatever you want to.’

Depending on who is the recipient of the gift and whether he or she would not take it otherwise, self-help and motivational gifts can also be given. There are unlimited resources of this kind available in the market.

Though one may tactfully and sometimes secretly try to find out what a particular person would like as a gift, it is never a good idea to directly ask or discuss this question with the concerned person. There is the danger of the uncomfortable situation when on asking somebody tells his preference which may be difficult to get or out of the range of our budget for the particular person.

Last, but not least, one should not forget those unfortunate fellow human beings who don’t have any food to eat, any clothes to wear, and any roof over their head. Gift something to your favorite charity.

Also remember, intangible gifts are thousands of times better than tangible gifts. Christmas is the festival of love. Take the trouble of showing your love and helping others. Visit your friends and relatives whom you have not visited since long; invite them at home; or reconcile with an estranged friend.

And, in the end, don’t forget to give a gift to yourself also. Buy for yourself which you had been dreaming of having since long but you thought you could not afford it. It may be a car, a golf set, a cell phone, or a new suit.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

BE HAPPY! BE HEALTHY! BE SUCCESSFUL!

TODAY, TOMORROW, AND FOR EVER!