gift buying etiquette

[lph]

I was really just blowing off some steam after an email turned up containing an unasked-for wishlist and absolutely nothing else, but as I typed I started remembering all the reasons I now as an adult for the most part heartily dislike Christmas.

I didn't use to, and I wish I could just enjoy the parts I like. I love getting presents from, and buying for, my closest family. I love exchanging gifts with close friends, as they're always unexpected and usually low-key but thoughtful. But my shoulders start heading skywards right about now and I get really grouchy about the not-so-good parts.

NYbiker, do you mean that you don't like to give gift cards, or receive them? I prefer not to either, and will usually not give money either. But occasionally it can be fun. A couple of friends of mine who had lived together for years but suddenly decided to get married asked for contributions to their honeymoon to Rome, as they already had every household doodad you could think of, but not a lot of money for a honeymoon. We gave them cash divided into 5 or 6 little envelopes, where one was for a dinner at this restaurant, another was for ice-cream at this stall, another was for a guided bike ride. So we ended up actually giving them specific experiences, which was great fun.

[ny biker]

I think sometimes gift cards are great, both to give and to receive. Other times, they're just the lazy way out.

When they're done right, they show that the giver is thinking about what the recipient likes (or what they need, such as a grocery story gift card for a starving-student nephew).