Unwrapping the traditions of gift giving

BY MACKNZIE JOHNSON / Multimedia Journalist

The season of gift giving is upon us. Between family members, friends, coworkers and everyone in between, people are expected to give each other gifts. But what age should you start? 
 

The tradition of gift giving is one that dates back centuries. 
 

Beginning in prehistoric times, it is believed the art of gift giving began on more of a political premise. Giving a gift was considered a social procedure in order to represent one’s respect and loyalty to another person, and these were typically given to those of a high social status, such as nobility. 
 

On the flip side, gifts were also given by and among nobility as a means of exhibiting their great wealth and luxurious lifestyle.
 

Although that’s still true to some extent today, maybe just not in such a dramatic manner, presents have since evolved into a custom that encompasses more than simply a social offering. 
 

Now, gift giving is considered the pillar of momentous occasions, designating the important events of anniversaries, birthdays and potentially most prominently, Christmas. 
 

It’s human nature to want to show appreciation for one another in a tangible form around the holidays, but with that virtuously built tradition has also come the great expectation to always present the perfect gift at Christmas to every single person you care about, and that pressure doesn’t come festively wrapped with a bow.
 

Nobody does Christmas quite like America does, and from the outside looking in, the days leading up to the holidays may appear more like a scene from a corporate marketing scheme horror movie than a warm Hallmark classic. 
 

The responsibility of gift giving is not one taken lightly, and many people stress themselves out senselessly running from point A to point B checking purchases off their Christmas lists instead of enjoying the comforts the holiday season brings. And typically on Christmas morning, instead of feeling relieved the chaos leading up to the day has finally ended, many people feel financially spent. 
 

With Christmas gift giving becoming such a weighted pressure, at what age is it assumed that you must jump into the madness of gift giving? And is there a certain age in which you no longer receive presents, but are still expected to give them? 
 

The answer is that there’s no singularly clear one, and that the logistics of gift giving differs from family to family. 
 

Hailey Johnson believes in being smart with gift giving.  
 

“I think you should be responsible to get gifts when you have a job,” Johnson said. “When we get married in our family, we either share our designated gift budget with our spouse or we get a small gift budget separately. For gift giving at Christmas, we draw names, and the budget is $50 for your person,” Johnson said. 
 

Cindy Eubanks has a similar outlook on the age family members should join in on gift giving. 
 

“Gift giving starts when they are out on their own. Like working, living and paying bills,” Eubanks said. “My husband’s family stops giving all the kids gifts at 16, but there are fewer kids now, so I usually get them a little something. For adults, we do Dirty Santa for the extended family party and only do small gifts for the immediate family of brothers, sisters etc.”
 

Kaitlen Lifsey’s family has a more concrete cutoff for no longer receiving gifts. 
 

“Gifts aren’t given after you get married,” Lifsey said. “Instead, the married couples play Dirty Santa.”
 

Marriage is also considered a time marker for giving presents for Crystal Crosser’s family, just a little differently. 
 

“We give gifts when you accomplish something: graduation, first marriage or having a baby,” Crosser said. “Our kids can give gifts when they feel led to do so with money they earn, but giving gifts is only a responsibility of a parent in my opinion.”
 

Another time marker for gift giving is school, whether that be secondary or collegiate. 
 

Lindee McCurley’s family feels this way.
 

“The unwritten rule we go by is that when you’re done with school, you stop getting gifts,” McCurley said. “Want to further your education at trade school or university? Super! That counts! When my cousin went back to college in her 40s to work on her degree, she got a present.”
 

The size of the family also plays a part with how roles of gift giving are divided out. 
 

Victoria Mackenzie’s family has different rules.
 

“I have a bigger family,” Victoria Mackenzie said.  “I’m the oldest of 5 and also have 4 children. In our family traditions, adults give all the children still in school gifts. All the adults draw names and play Dirty Santa.” 
 

It’s a common census that for a lot of families, outside of immediate relatives, presents are mostly reserved for those not yet married, still in school or under 18. If you don’t fit within that criteria and are considered an official adult, it’s a typical tradition to then be expected to give gifts to younger family members and provide a gift in Dirty Santa. 
 

However, this is not the case for all families. Elizabeth Milligan feels strongly about giving gifts.
 

“No one should ever feel they have to give a gift,” Milligan said. “That’s why it is called a gift: something given willingly. If not willingly, it is an obligation. Christmas time should not feel like an obligation. My parents and adult siblings agreed years ago not to exchange gifts. We are blessed to have all we need, and personally, I don’t want more stuff I don’t need. If I choose to give a gift to one of them, it is my choice… I expect none in return.” 
 

College student Alea Muñoz views gift giving along those same lines. 
 

“I don’t feel like anyone should ever be ‘responsible’ for giving Christmas gifts, and your status in life such as a job or being an adult shouldn’t determine that,” Muñoz said. “Parents often feel obligated to give gifts because, well, they’re parents. But sometimes things are more important than gifts. As a college student, I feel like I should be responsible for giving Christmas gifts, but due to life, that is looking unlikely… There shouldn’t be a pressure of responsibility to give gifts. After all, it is Christmas, and isn’t exactly meant for gifts, it’s meant for the birth of Christ.”
 

It’s no secret that the actual significance of Christmas can be diminished amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. 
 

It’s easy to view gift giving as more of a requirement when you’re up to your neck in shopping receipts, petrified before checking the numbers in your bank account and faced with the tinsel tight tension of presenting the perfect gift to your loved ones. 
 

Although there isn’t a set age for when to start giving gifts and when to stop receiving them, that’s the authentic beauty of it. 
 

And no matter what your family’s gift giving traditions are, it’s important to remember the greatest gifts given can’t be rung up by a Kohl’s cashier or packaged in plaid wrapping paper, nor are these gifts physical items that can be passed around the living room in a game of Dirty Santa. 
 

These gifts can’t be found on a store shelf and aren’t built on the basis of expectations or income salary, but rather found within. 
 

The faith, fellowship and gratitude rooted in holiday traditions are the gifts best given and best received, and luckily, they don’t cost a dime.