December 3#: Make A Gift Day

4 min read

“A Gift that’s handmade,
Is a gift not replaced,
Entrapping sweet memories,
That can’t be erased.”
Amanda Evanson

Yes, there’s just something amazing about the delightful process of unwrapping a gift, wondering what’s inside. Underneath the wrapping paper could be anything, any one of a million things from a million stores!
But what’s really special is when a person opens up that paper to discover what’s found inside.
Nothing says that like a hand-made gift, and on Make a Gift Day, everyone can have the fun of sharing that love with the people they care about.
This unofficial holiday encourages people to create gifts for their loved ones, instead of relying on ready-made goods. This distinctive touch makes the gift all the more exclusive and adds more significance to the gesture.

There was time when a hand-made gift was the only sort of gift most people would give.
In fact there were no major manufacturing facilities churning out the latest tchotchke that every person and every one of our friends has.
Instead when a gift was given, the receiver knew that it was going to be something hand-made by the person presenting it, with time and care spent crafting it with you specifically in mind.
And, it probably took them a great bit of planning and work as well.
So now it’s time to go back in time to the way things were before factories and electronics came into play, and It’s time to carefully consider how to enjoy the process of giving by gifting items that are handmade. And Make a Gift Day is the ideal time!

Giving and receiving gifts is a tradition as old as time, or so it seems.
Try to imagine some evidence showing that even cavemen gave gifts like teeth or stones to potential mates, to people who have done something good for the tribe, or to other loved ones.
Biologists believe the gifting practice is an evolutionary act to establish dominance and show affection.
Several older cultures had their gift-giving ceremonies special to the era and traditions.
For example, Native Americans practiced a gift-giving feast called ‘potlatch’ for thousands of years, but our tradition of gifting on birthdays probably come from the Ancient Egyptians, who honored their pharaohs with gifts like jewelry and various crops on their “birthdays”, like the pharaohs’ coronation day, which was more important than their day of birth.
But Egyptians took gift-giving one step further: they buried their dead with gifts to guide them peacefully into the afterlife, while the Ancient Greeks, too, gave us a tradition: blowing out candles, as they believed evil spirits would come to haunt a loved one on their birthday, so they lighted candles and blew them out, making a wish to the gods to protect the birthday girl or boy!
The Middle Ages saw almost everyone exchange gifts, with those of a romantic nature increasing in frequency.
By the 19th century, cheaper manufacturing costs meant mass-produced goods were easily available and affordable, as a result, gift-giving increased all over the world.
And gift-giving has become commonplace in modern times.

History apart, Make A Gift Day encourages every person to try their hand at creating something that can be given as a gift, no matter what it is.
Everyone has some sort of skill they can turn to producing something made with personal care and attention.
Whether creating an elaborate card with something that the recipient adores, or creating an entire outfit for that next big event, Make A Gift Day encourages people to really express themselves and their view of the recipient through arts and crafts.

The first idea to celebrate is certainly the most obvious: make a gift for someone!
And the kinds of gifts a person can make are practically limitless.
And It doesn’t even need to be something fancy, just so it’s made from the heart.
Those artistic types might find that a simple handmade card or frameable drawing is perfect little present on this day.
Not so into drawing? That’s okay!
A photo? Sewing or knitting something?
Baking a gift?
Or even learning a new gift-making skill!
For those who don’t necessarily possess a particular skill that lends itself to create a gift, it is certainly possible to use this as the ideal opportunity to learn.
No matter what the gift is that is handmade, the recipient will know how much they are loved, all wrapped up in one hand made bundle.
So get out there and make a gift!