Gift Giving

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Hello Everyone!

Today I am going to be discussing the act of gift giving. I chose to go around the topic of our modern culture opposed to the medieval one.

Gift giving, I feel, is one of those symbolic things. Many people may not think it is, but in the art of giving a gift, we show our appreciation to this person. The gift may have just been a joke for a White Elephant Christmas Party, but the fact that you brought a gift still shows you care.

In class, we discussed a "Dear Abby" article whether or not it was okay to bring a gift to an engagement party that was announced on Facebook. I think it's okay not to bring a gift. I say this only because if they are inviting you via FACEBOOK, you shouldn't have to bring a gift. The invitation was impersonal, so it gives you the right to be the same way. In modern culture, especially on the technology side of things, we have given up on doing things that go the extra mile. The article was just a small example of that, the host could have easily spent a few minutes making a card on the internet and printing a photo announcement and mailing them.

In Medieval times, gift giving was seen as a form of status. These people liked to out-do each other. Our society is nothing like that anymore. I like that because if someone gave a gift that was better than mine, I wouldn't be mad. I just didn't know what to get them is all. Also, gift giving is a sort of ritual to celebrate that particular person whether it be their birthday or something of a milestone.

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Gift giving in today's society isn't to show each other that we're better than one another, but it shows that we care about one another. The art of gift giving is also about not being impersonal, you want to get that person something that will be memorable and not just "I liked it, so I got it for you!" So make gifts mean something, even if it is in reference to an inside joke.

~Amanda