Gifts of the season

When a 2016 survey was made on how people felt about and what they did with the gifts they received during the previous Christmas, the results were amusing. Fifteen percent were unhappy with the gifts they received, 10 percent couldn’t even remember the gifts, 25 percent “regifted” them to other people, 14 percent sold the items, 10 percent tried to return them to the store, and 5 percent gave the gifts back to the givers.

The survey was conducted in 14 European countries by ING bank. But judging by anecdotal stories from family and friends about gifts that are “recycled” or sold, I can imagine that the results will be equally amusing if a similar survey were done in the Philippines. An exception, though, is the response category of returning the gift back to the giver, which I am almost sure does not hold true for Filipinos. I have never encountered and I cannot imagine any Filipino who is so repulsed by a gift to the point of returning it to the giver. Even prank gifts of toilet pumps are accepted in the spirit of fun.

In the United States, the same survey revealed that 40 percent of Americans recycled gifts, 31 percent returned them to the store, and 19 percent threw them away.

The survey further revealed that 10 percent of Europeans borrowed money (or resorted to credit cards) to cover the cost of Christmas festivities. The numbers are double for the British because 19 percent of them fall into festive debt. Americans are even more prone to debt because 22 percent of them resort to credit during Christmas.

While there has been no similar survey in the Philippines, my personal observation is that we Filipinos generally work within our budget and don’t fall into debt to finance our Christmas festivities. This is probably because we are poorer and we have lesser access to credit that will allow us to spend beyond our means.

The survey may also be instructive to Filipinos because the results provide helpful hints on the kinds of gifts not to give during Christmas. These include gifts that appeal to personal taste such as perfume, cosmetics, ornaments, and clothing as well as shoes—items that will most likely find their way onto the “unwanted” list. This revelation may be too late for this season, but it is instructive and should be remembered for subsequent Christmas seasons.

Judging by the gifts I receive, however, as well as those I see that family and friends either give or receive, Filipinos have a penchant for giving food items. So, on second thought, the percentage of “unwanted” gifts may be much less among Filipinos.

Men and women generally have different attitudes toward gift-giving. The search for what gifts to give to family and friends is an exciting adventure for women. They will happily and carefully select gifts that will match the personality or needs of each intended recipient.

In contrast, men have no patience in selecting gifts for each receiver. Our tendency is to get a uniform gift for everyone, the aim being to complete the chore of gift-shopping for all our friends and family members in just one visit to a store. I have male friends who confess to experiencing lockjaw when they are made to shop for personalized gifts to multiple recipients.

Each gift that we give or receive tells a story of whether we are being a blessing to the recipient/giver or the recipient/giver is being a blessing to us. It will be a worthwhile endeavor, during a lull in the festivities, to tally whether we have been a blessing to others or we are simply blessed based on the gifts that we gave or received.

Of the things I received this season, one gift stood out. It came from artist Daniel Dela Cruz and wife Monica—a bayong containing humble food fare for an underprivileged family. The bag comes with a note that says: “Kindly accept this simple package which you may not need but you might want to pass on those who would.” It’s a gift that wonderfully reminds me that I am blessed with good-hearted friends, and at the same time allows me to become a blessing to others.

Merry Christmas!

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