Hum Bug Infestation

I don't really think of myself as a Bah Hum Bug kind of guy, but something about the holidays brings out the worst in me. It's been suggested to me that I must have had some sort of Christmas tragedy in my past to so sour me on the season, but I think it's deeper than that.

I truly despise enforced gift giving, and this tradition is at the core of the modern Christmas. I have plenty of stuff (and I should be more grateful for that, but the status quo is often difficult to appreciate). And I think I've always felt intuitively what recent research is confirming: gift giving is as much about the giver as about the receiver.

I don't want to receive a gift from someone who says "I hope you like it." If you're not sure I'd like it, then I'd be happier if you'd saved your money for yourself. I also hate that we lump our gift giving around specific dates (mainly Christmas and birthdays); a surprise gift is much more meaningful. I want someone to say, "I saw this and I thought of you so I here's a gift." And I want to be able to say that, too.