All About Gifts
By Natalie Gonzales Servin
Photo of The Rambler staff’s gift exchange.
Courtesy of Brynn Kan
Every holiday season, we find ourselves trying to come up with the perfect present, but what makes the ultimate gift?
Gifts are a way of telling someone special that you care for them or that you appreciate them. The extensive history of “gift giving” goes all the way back to when cavemen would give each other unusual rocks.
According to the University of Arizona, gifts are used to symbolize love and devotion between two partners. The study states, “We create this warm feeling not just by giving physical gifts, but by engaging in other acts of kindness like complimenting others and telling others how much they mean to us.”
South Gate’s local nurse assistant, Jessica Jurado, incorporates “gift giving” into her everyday life. Jurado stated, “Often once I’m done doing check-ups on little kids and when it comes to giving them their flu shot, I always give them a small gift to get them distracted so that way they won’t cry.”
Jurado’s kind act fosters a strong bond between her and her patients. In the end when Nurse Jurado gives them these gifts, they end up trusting her. This simple act creates a positive association in their relationship and establishes a sense of safety.
That said, Christmas is a bit more high-stakes and our loved ones might be expecting a bit more than an unusual rock or lollipop. To help ease your stress, here are some modern day Christmas gift ideas to give to your significant others.
Based on research, The New York Times Wirecutter has stated “Some women never outgrow stuffies, but your lady surely deserves an upgrade from a Squishmallow.” Buying your girlfriend a perfect plushie or a stuffed animal of a character she likes, never goes wrong because stuffies are cute and comforting.
Getting a gift for your boyfriend may seem hard at first, but The New York Times Wirecutter suggests that crème sweats are a one of a kind gift to give to your man. The Wirecutter classifies them as a popular gift among men: “Beloved by both fashion editors and r/BuyItForLife Redditors, Reigning Champ is the crème de la crème of men’s sweats.” Men love fashion and sweats so gifting him clothes can be quite thoughtful and they will appreciate it.
South Gate High’s senior Araceli Ponce states, “I mostly like to give [my boyfriend] things that he likes and especially if the things are on discount or I just give him things that remind me of him.”
The intentionality behind her gifts shows much she appreciates him and demonstrates gift giving as one her love languages.
In the end all kinds of gifts are special even if they’re small or handmade because they come from you. Whether the gift is for your mom, partner, siblings, or friends, it’s guaranteed that they’ll love it because gifts simply show how much love and appreciation you have for that person.
Gifts can go a long way so make sure you go and buy that concert ticket!