With Christmas right around the corner, it’s getting to be that special but not necessarily cherished time of the year: Christmas shopping. For some, that event sparks joy and excitement in preparation for finding the perfect gift for your friends. For others, it’s a time of woe and dread, wading through huge crowds of people, being shoved and buffeted by the waves of greedy buyers, miserably eking out hours of time trying to get through lines. But what to get? No matter what kind of shopper you are during Christmas, the question remains the same. As a person blessed or maybe cursed to have been born on Christmas Eve, I am in a very special position when it comes to what to get me for my birthday/the holidays. But I am not the only one in this rare situation. There are some people who happen to be born right on the cusp or at least within the vicinity of the Christmas holiday. What on earth are you to get them?
First, you must choose to make a distinction between the birthday and the holiday. You can either combine them together in order to cover a more expensive or bigger gift, or you may decide to split your gifts into smaller portions to satisfy both days. Speaking from experience, I’ve had gifts given in both categories, and honestly, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve learned to be happy with whatever people choose to give me, and besides, it really is the thought that counts, not how much money someone sank into it in order to please you. But it’s a personal and financial decision. It’s up to you to figure out how best to satisfy your friends!
While birthdays and Christmas both individually have a stand-out gift, what are you going to do when both dates are so close together? Do you pull out all the stops and buy a mega-gift of sorts, to cover both days, or do you still get gifts that match each occasion? Again, it doesn’t really matter, at least to me. Some people think they have to buy a really nice gift to cover both the birthday and the Christmas holiday, but it’s not necessary. The gifts should be more of an understanding of the person you are giving them to; try to find something that suits the person you are gifting. If the gift for both dates calls for something smaller or less expensive but nevertheless perfect for that person, go for it! Don’t think you have to overcompensate just because the two holidays are so close together.
I may have drawn the ire of any readers who have Christmas and birthday celebrations relatively close together and have been getting tremendously expensive or wonderful gifts around this time of year, but the truth of the holiday must remain intact over the consumerism. I can’t believe it still needs explaining or that the explanation is so clichéd, but Christmas is not about the actual gifts themselves. While they are nice and are a show of affection by those who give, it does not matter how expensive or fancy or big the gifts are. Simply by giving in the first place you are showing your affection for that person and how much you appreciate their friendship.