The Holiday Gift Exchange

There is nothing -I repeat, nothing- more awkward than the Holiday Gift Giving Season. In truth, it is the only down side of this festive time of year, and unfortunately, the awkwardness is almost as unavoidable as Herpes Simplex I.

The Holiday Gift Exchange has many aliases: Secret Santa, Secret Snowflake, Secret Angel, Pollyanna, Grab Bag…uh, Holiday Gift Exchange, whatever- you get the idea. You see, either each employee picks a name out of a hat and, with a specific price maximum, has to buy a gift-- or, each employee gets a gift that could be enjoyed by anyone in the office and, on the day before Christmas Break, everyone picks a gift at random…which they inevitably end up hating.

Both of those traditions suck.

AT WORK

First of all, my roommate and I BOTH picked our boss’s names out of a hat. What do you get the boss? How much is too much? How much is too little. What is inappropriate and what is deemed A-OK? And, more importantly, why are the bosses even including themselves in the exchange? Shouldn’t they know better?

But even when you don’t get the boss, this exchange is always awkward. For example, if in my Secret Snowflake guideline memo, it says not to spend more than 10 bux on a gift, will the other person think I’m cheap if I obey those rules? And on the other hand, will they think I’m too frivolous with my money if I go over the limit? Or, will they not care at all, and am I just being a stupid girl? I’m torn. What is the common belief when it comes to Company Gift Exchange regulations? Is it wrong to go over the dollar amount specified? Is that “bad form” as some say? Or is it sort of expected that you will? And if it is expected, isn’t that sort of messed up?

Things get even more awkward when you dislike the person, and then you have to spend a week or two looking to trade for another employee, wasting valuable shopping minutes. And on the downside to the Trade Issue, you have to worry about looking silly and immature. I mean, come on, nobody barters for human life- in America…that I’m aware of- anymore!

IN RELATIONSHIPS

After being with someone for a while, you can tell each other what you want or what you’d prefer, and that’s great. But in the beginning of a relationship, it’s difficult to gauge how much to spend- or- whether or not you should get the other person something at all.

I like giving gifts, but receiving them can be awkward. One year, I got my boyfriend (at the time) Eagle’s tickets. He was a huge Eagle’s fan, and it was to be his first Eagle’s game ever. I was a gooooooood girlfriend. Yeah…he got me a sweater. However, I was ok with that because I knew that I had given the better gift. After all, this season is about ‘giving’ …is it not? Had he gotten us tickets to Europe, I would have felt like an idiot! (Not that the guy had any money to get tickets to Europe, or any desire to culture himself for that matter- but that’s neither here nor there.) Nobody wants to be the person who spends less than the other. But nobody really wants to be the person who spends more either, because then, you may unwillingly be making the other person feel cheap…and that can be awkward for both parties.

IN GENERAL

God, I really wish money around the Holiday season wasn’t an issue. Really, it shouldn’t matter how much you spend, what should matter is the thought and the heart that was put behind the gift given. This year- I’m waging war on awkward gift giving situations- I’m getting my boss chocolate, because everyone loves chocolate. And, anything I get my boyfriend will have some sort of meaning to me and him. It doesn’t matter how cheap (or pricy) it may seem- if it means something, I’ll get it!

Christmastime is not about telling people how much you love them by placing a dollar maximum or minimum on their name, it’s simply about telling people you love them.

Hmmm…what do you think the baby Jesus would do in these situations? WWJD, folks? What would he do? No scratch that- what would YOU do? What DO you do?? Post a comment and let us know!!