Gift

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Gift (disambiguation).
"Presents" redirects here. For other uses, see Presents (disambiguation).
Small gift boxes

A gift or present is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many countries, the act of mutually exchanging

sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness and kindness. Gifts are often presented on occasions such as birthdays and holidays
.

History

Gift-giving has played a central role in social and economic systems throughout human history. Anthropologist Marcel Mauss argued in The Gift (1925) that gifts in archaic societies were embedded in systems of obligation, where the act of giving, receiving, and reciprocating created enduring social bonds.[1] In many early civilizations, gifts were used for religious offerings, royal tribute, diplomatic negotiations, and public displays of generosity by elites. Over time, gift-giving evolved into a broader practice encompassing both ceremonial and personal exchanges.

Ancient

In Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, gifts were presented to rulers and deities as symbols of devotion or allegiance. Archaeological records and cuneiform tablets describe tributes of grain, livestock, and precious metals given as offerings or tokens of loyalty.[2]

In

Homeric epics such as the Odyssey, served to strengthen social ties and demonstrate respect.[3]

In the Roman world, elites gave munera (public gifts or services), including gladiatorial games and food distributions, as acts of civic generosity and to enhance political reputation.[4]

In

Ancient China, gift-giving was guided by the Confucian ideal of li (ritual propriety). Formal exchanges of gifts—such as jade, scrolls, or tea—were common among the aristocracy and scholars and symbolized respect and social hierarchy.[5]

Many ancient religious traditions also incorporated gift-giving. In the Rigveda, patrons offered cattle, gold, and horses to priests as part of ritual sacrifices.[6] In Christian tradition, the Magi's presentation of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus is an early example of symbolic religious gift-giving, commemorated in modern Christmas customs.[7]

Medieval

In the 760s,

bishop of Mainz).[8] This was the only known instance of gift-giving between 8th-century missionaries.[8]

Donations to

treasure of merit".[9]

In sixteenth and seventeenth century France, gift-giving was often patronage in disguise.[10]: 131  This was hidden by terms like grâces, bonté, and bienveillance.[10]: 137  Sometimes actual gifts were given with patron-client letters. These often included money, hunting birds, food, and cloth,[10]: 138–139  and occasionally messengers as well.[10]: 140 

Modern

Gift-giving during

Lutheran theology.[11]: xvi  During this era, gifts were usually small and handmade.[11]
: xvi 

In the late 19th century, U.S. Christmas celebrations began to grow in scale, with more manufacturing of goods.[11]: xvii  As early as 1880, the country's businesspeople had begun taking advantage of the holiday to sell more.[11]: xix 

In Japan,

giri choko ("obligation chocolate").[13] Typical gifts on White Day include chocolate, jewelry, and clothes.[13]

Recent changes in gift-giving have been influenced by technology, consumer preferences, and cultural shifts. There is a growing preference for personalized, handmade, or digitally delivered gifts over traditional store-bought items. Customized gifts like hand-drawn

The Harvard Shop[16]
, have also embraced this trend, offering customized items that reflect their institutions' traditions. Additional gift types that reflect modern personalization trends include custom jewelry or accessories featuring engraved names, initials, or birthstones; personalized greeting cards or art prints; digital gifts such as NFTs or tailored online experiences like personalized video messages; handcrafted wellness products including soaps or candles with custom labels; and themed experience kits, for example, cooking kits with personalized recipes.

Presentation

In many cultures gifts are traditionally

wrapping paper and accompanied by a gift note which may note the occasion, the recipient's name and the giver's name. In Chinese culture, red wrapping connotes luck. Although inexpensive gifts are common among colleagues, associates and acquaintances, expensive or amorous gifts are considered more appropriate among close friends, romantic interests or relatives.[17]

Gift-giving occasions

Gifts under a Christmas tree
Modern engagement gifts basket in Bangladesh.
Napoleon Bonaparte
.

Gift-giving occasions may be:

Promotional gifts

Promotional gifts differ from regular gifts. Recipients may include employees or clients. These gifts are primarily used for advertising. They help promote the brand name and increase its awareness. In promotional gifting, the quality and presentation of the gifts are more important than the gifts themselves, as they serve as a gateway to acquire new clients or associates. [citation needed]

As reinforcement and manipulation

Giving a gift to someone is not necessarily just an altruistic act. It may be given in the hope that the receiver

abusive purpose.[18]

Unwanted gifts

Giving the appropriate gift that aligns with the recipient's preferences poses a formidable challenge. Gift givers commonly err in the process of gift selection, either by offering gifts that the recipients' do not wish to receive or by failing to provide gifts that recipients earnestly desired. For example, givers avoid giving the same gifts more than once while recipients are more open to receiving a repeated gift,

utilitarian value of the gift.[22]

Due to the mismatch between givers' and recipients' gift preferences, a significant fraction of gifts are unwanted, or the giver pays more for the item than the recipient values it, resulting in a misallocation of economic resources known as a

regifted", donated to charity, or thrown away.[23] A gift that actually imposes a burden on the recipient, either due to maintenance or storage or disposal costs, is known as a white elephant
.

One means of reducing the mismatch between the buyer and receivers' tastes is advance coordination, often undertaken in the form of a

Christmas list. Wedding registries in particular are often kept at a single store, which can designate the exact items to be purchased (resulting in matching housewares), and to coordinate purchases so the same gift is not purchased by different guests. One study found that wedding guests who departed from the registry typically did so because they wished to signal a closer relationship to the couple by personalizing a gift, and also found that as a result of not abiding by the recipients' preferences, their gifts were appreciated less often.[24]

An estimated $3.4 billion was spent on unwanted Christmas gifts in the United States in 2017

gift cards purchased in the U.S. each year is estimated to be about a billion dollars.[23]

In some cases, people know the preferences of recipients very well, and can give highly valued gifts. Some value in gift-giving comes from assisted preference discovery - people receiving gifts they did not know they would like, or which they did not know were available. Behavioral economists propose that the non-material value of gifts lies in strengthening relationships by signalling the giver was thoughtful, or spent time and effort on the gift.[28]

Main articles: Gift (law) and Gift tax

At common law, for a gift to have legal effect, it was required that there be (1) intent by the donor to give a gift, and (2) delivery to the recipient of the item to be given as a gift.

In some countries, certain types of gifts above a certain monetary amount are subject to taxation. For the United States, see Gift tax in the United States.

In some contexts, gift giving can be construed as bribery. This tends to occur in situations where the gift is given with an implicit or explicit agreement between the giver of the gift and its receiver that some type of service will be rendered (often outside of normal legitimate methods) because of the gift. Some groups, such as government workers, may have strict rules concerning gift giving and receiving so as to avoid the appearance of impropriety.[29]

Cross border monetary gifts are subject to taxation in both source and destination countries based on the treaty between the two countries.

Religious views

Buddha in his incarnation as the Wise Hare giving the ultimate alms by offering himself up as a meal for Sakka
. (Hyde, 1983, 58–60)

In the

Christ
to the Church.

Ritual sacrifices can be seen as return gifts to a deity.

See also

References

  1. ^ Mauss, Marcel. The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies. Routledge, 1954.
  2. ^ Wilkinson, Richard H. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, 2003.
  3. ^ Homer. The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics, 1996.
  4. ^ Hopkins, Keith. Conquerors and Slaves. Cambridge University Press, 1978.
  5. ^ Li, Chenyang. The Confucian Philosophy of Harmony. Routledge, 2013.
  6. ^ Griffith, Ralph T.H. The Hymns of the Rigveda. Evinity Publishing Inc., 2009.
  7. ^ Matthew 2:11, Holy Bible.
  8. ^
    ISSN 0304-4181
    .
  9. ^
    JSTOR 23997785
    .
  10. ^
    ISSN 0269-1191
    .
  11. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8147-9284-1
    .
  12. ^
    ISSN 0276-1467
    .
  13. ^ a b Gordenker, Alice (2006-03-21). "White Day". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
  14. ^ ScienceDaily, "Personalized Gifts Foster Emotional Connections," December 2024
  15. ^ "Custom Portraits and Personalized Books".
  16. ^ "The Harvard Shop".
  17. ^ Brigham, John Carl (1986). Social Psychology. p. 322.
  18. ISBN 978-0-07-144672-3
    .
  19. S2CID 219930823
    .
  20. S2CID 258819983
    .
  21. S2CID 255635981
    .
  22. ^
    ISSN 0963-7214
    .
  23. ^ a b Lee, Timothy B. (December 21, 2016). "The economic case against Christmas presents". Vox. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  24. ^ Mendoza, Nohely (December 26, 2017). "New Study Explores Psychology Of Giving Wedding Gifts". Nexstar Broadcasting. Waco, Texas.
  25. ^ a b Mendoza, Nohely. "Biggest return day of the year". Nexstar Broadcasting. Waco, Texas. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  26. ^ "Americans will waste $10.1B on unwanted holiday gifts — and 53% will get a disappointing present".
  27. ^ Musaddique, Shafi (January 2, 2018). "Unwanted Christmas presents set to rise on busiest day of the year for returns". The Independent. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  28. ^ Jeff Guo (December 19, 2014). "No, Virginia, Christmas is not an 'orgy of wealth destruction'". The Washington Post.
  29. ^ "Gifts and Payments". Washington, D.C.: United States Office of Government Ethics. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2018.

Further reading

  • The dictionary definition of gift at Wiktionary
  • Media related to Gifts at Wikimedia Commons
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