Is it wrong that I don't get anybody gifts during Christmas

Well, do people get stuff for you?

>>16589742
Yes.

It means you're not emotionally invested in the arbitrary ways that people maintain social connections.

If Hallmark had ever existed and gift giving instead had been relegated to some other randomly chosen circumstances, it would have maintained its social value all the same. Picking a fight with Christmas and birthdays in particular misses the forest for the trees. Try giving people gifts on Eid al Adha and Eid ul Fitr instead.

>>16589746
Do you have a job/some kind of income?

>>16589753
Yes. I'm not well off by any stretch of the imagination, but I could afford some cheap gifts.

>>16589761
Then, if people are making an effort to give you a gift, I think it is a bit shitty OF you to not at least return the gesture, though I don't think it makes you a shitty person to not be 'into it'. As adults we all have to do things we don't like because of social obligation. During Christmas this encompasses things like getting something for a white elephant at work or whatever, no one really wants to do that.

Again, not 'getting' Christmas doesn't make you a shit person, but you should return effort that is spent on you, even if it's just with something small.

3 words: Gift Exchange Threads

>>16589776
I've been thinking about this a lot since I opened this thread. What small things can I do for people that is sincere and has value?

I don't like cards because I think they're thoughtless. I don't like random gifts because they're literally junk. However, I don't have the money to afford things that people will refuse to buy for themselves.

There was one time that I gave a gift and I have never been prouder in my life. I saw this cute idea for a flower pot that was filled with pound cake, ice cream, and topped with ground chocolate, with a flower stuffed in the middle. It looked like a potted flower. I gave that to my mother once for Mother's Day, and she totally fell for it. She thought it was some weird, autistic gift of a single rose flower stuck in some dirt that happened to be really cold for some reason. It wasn't until I was like, "I'll get you a spoon" that her mind was blown all over the wall. That is still my fondest memory today of gift giving. It was a cheap gift, and it didn't last long at all, but I felt like that moment was gold.

Anyway, >>16589786, what's this?

If they're getting you something, then it's socially expected that you return the favour. It's called reciprocity.

>>16589809
This is what I'm afraid of. I don't want to be just thrown into a cycle of reciprocity. I thought it was about giving from your heart, and I was afraid I didn't have a heart because I almost never feel that. I don't want to just be a part of that circle jerk.

"Hey, you got a card? Alright. I got you a square foot of purple Russian Shag carpet from Home Depot. How's that for reciprocity?"

>>16589817
It's not a cycle though. It's a simple two-way exchange.

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20KB, 432x495px

>>16589804
That's a very nice story, anon. People like creative gifts, and gifts with thought/effort put into them. One of my favorite gifts I've ever received was a pink hoodie with a homemade applique of a cupcake (my favorite) stitched onto it by my best friend, who is talented at sewing. The hoodie itself probably cost less than $10 and she did everything herself. Almost a decade later, I still wear it today. It just means a lot to me because she was both aware of my interests and cared enough to do something herself instead of buying something.

I think if you do little things like the flower pot in your story, people would be happy to receive them.. bonus points if you somehow show awareness of their personality/interests.

>>16589817
People like giving gifts because they like to see another person happy because of a thing that they gave them. It's also nice to get something in return, because you feel appreciated in turn. It's not all as callous as you think it is.

>>16589738

i get it. ive started telling people that this is the last year im buying presents. and i dont think i should do the whole 'oh ill make a present from the heart' cuz who has the time for all that just to not offend someone?

so instead here is what i do:
>bake 12 cupcakes
>add some sort of signature to it. if ur not creative, add a cherry on top, something to make it not an ordinary cupcake
>give those out to the normies in your life
>for people you actually care about, bake them a whole cake, again something that has your signature on it

its a cheap way that doesnt take too much time to give people something to show you like them but dont buy into the whole consumerism of it all.

>>16589804
>what's this?
>>>/mlp/25814935
You get the idea