Gifts that keep on giving

The holiday season often sparks a gift-giving frenzy as we rack our brains trying to find the perfect present for our loved ones. In the midst of this consumerist chaos, let’s pause to consider how our gift purchases can create positive impact beyond just the recipient. The gifts we buy can have the power to transform lives, support livelihoods, and effect social change.

In my experience as a recipient, a gift that was quite memorable was a bundle of social enterprise products that included chocolates, personal care, and homecare products. I especially appreciated the note written by the gift-giver: the products were carefully curated to meet my needs and wants while helping disadvantaged communities that the social enterprises were working with.

As a gift-giver, I commissioned an artist to draw doodles and portraits of my loved ones. Instead of the usual shopping my wife and I have been doing in the past, we realized that commissioning an artwork provides income opportunities for the artist while enabling a more meaningful and personalized gift to our loved ones.

My experience both as a gift-giver and a recipient made me reflect on how we as a society have been celebrating the holidays. While gift-giving during the holidays stems from a place of love, it has become intertwined with frenzied consumerism that often loses sight of meaningful impact. As we get caught up in the rush to buy the latest gadgets or trendiest clothes for our loved ones, we may perpetuate cycles of overproduction and waste.

For example, factories rush to churn out popular toys, causing excessive overtime and poor conditions for workers. Billions of tons of gift wrap and packaging gets tossed annually. Moreover, this frenzy fuels emotional and financial stress in families overcompensating through lavish gifts rather than meaningful time together. In our haste to grab the coolest new gadgets off the shelves, we fail to consider the time, resources, and labor exploited in production, nor the e-waste of discarded electronics. The drive to meet inflated seasonal expectations diversion household budgets and promotes materialism over more intentioned, sustainable gift options.

The spirit of Christmas calls us to look beyond surface-level desires, toward deeper fulfillment rooted in compassion. What if this year, we resolved to give differently? As my own experience illustrates, there are many gift options that spread joy while transforming communities—from artisan goods that provide sustainable incomes, to donations given in a loved one’s honor. When we take time to think meaningfully about our gifts, we can uplift the disadvantaged even as we delight our friends and family.

The birth of Jesus represents the profound power of giving. He entered the world with open arms, His life an offering of hope for us all. We can emulate such selfless love through the presents we exchange. Many songs and prose have been written about the true spirit of Christmas - to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the ultimate Gift. What better way to honor Jesus than to give gifts that keep on giving?