Giving gifts has been an activity throughout human history. Gifts can have different meanings depending on the people involved or the occasion. Sometimes it’s hard to know what would be the right gift.

With an overview of the concept of gift giving, we hope to give you a better understanding of what gifts are so you can find some great gift ideas for the special people in your life.

What occasions and customs in the US traditionally involve giving gifts or exchanging gifts?

Various occasions and celebrations call for gifts. On a birthday, the birthday person receives gifts, often including a cake or some type of dessert. During the Christmas holidays, people often exchange gifts, sometimes supposedly receiving them from Santa Claus.

At a wedding, the couple receives gifts, usually for their home, and provides food and drink at the wedding reception. On the solemn occasion of a funeral, visitors often bring flowers and refreshments are offered by the deceased’s family.

After a birth, the parents receive gifts on behalf of the newborn. Students at an academic milestone like graduation often receive congratulatory gifts.

On Father’s and Mother’s Day, parents receive gifts from their children. It is also a tradition for guests and hosts to exchange gifts at parties.

Where are some good places to look for gift ideas?

Consumer culture has made it easy for people to let other people know what they want, so it really isn’t going to be too hard to come up with gift ideas, especially for special occasions like weddings or the birth of a child.

Many stores have gift registries where people participating in a celebration such as a wedding can register for the types of gifts they would like to receive. For example, a soon-to-be-married couple might go to a store like Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond and sign up to buy household items that would be useful as they begin their life together.

This registration or wish list process also helps ensure that wedding guests do not purchase too many of certain items. You only need so many coffee makers in a house!

Several consumer-facing websites have similar tools. For example, Amazon.com will make suggestions for add-on items or other products that you may see on the website.

What about gifts related to religion?

At some point in your life, you or your child may be invited to a religious celebration. For example, today it has become common in the United States for some Jewish families to celebrate bar or bat mitzvahs.

Interestingly, such celebrations only became common in the last century; before that, they were almost unknown! The bar mitzvah is the celebration of a Jewish boy who reaches adulthood at the age of 13.

The bat mitzvah is for girls ages 12 and up. It has become a tradition for guests to bring gifts to the reception party. If you want to give the celebrant a gift related to her religion, make sure you know something about the person’s faith. Usually the gifts given are like any birthday party gift for a 12 or 13 year old.

Has Christmas always been about gift giving?

Yes and no. The Christian Bible tells that on the first Christmas, the wise men brought the baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. This has become one of the bases for the exchange of gifts in modern Christmas celebrations.

However, it is interesting to note that two of the gifts, frankincense and myrrh, were used to prepare a body for burial. These symbolisms are overlooked today with the commercialization of Christmas.

Today, especially in developed Western countries, people are encouraged to buy gift after gift for their friends and family. This is a relatively new tradition, dating only to the 19th century.

However, the figures now associated with Christmas gifts, such as Santa Claus, have been around for a few more centuries. So has Christmas always been about gift giving? Yes, but originally it would have been a gift to God of religious devotion, not necessarily economic consumption.

What about shopping online?

The Internet is a very useful resource for finding gifts for friends and family. It’s become one of the hubs of retail, and without the wait for shipping, it tends to be less stressful than going to a mall.

You may be just a few clicks away from finding the perfect gift for someone. You can even send an email asking what the person would like and simply copy and paste the response into a Google search to find the item.

Some internet-based stores will even ship the gift directly to the recipient and possibly wrap it for you (for a fee, of course!).

When shopping for a gift online, make sure the website is secure, as you’ll need to use a credit card. As wonderful as gift giving can be, remember that being with someone in person is the greatest gift of all.

Gifts don’t always have to be bought. You could be the gift someone needs.