By now you’re well aware that December is the season to be jolly, regardless of religious affiliation, or even lack thereof. It is also the season to invest a great deal of time and energy into gift giving. Christmas, or X-Mas, if you prefer, has been roundly criticized for having become exploitative and commercialised. Yet aside from any religious considerations, doesn’t setting aside a time each year to celebrate, spend time with your loved ones, and give gifts to the people you care about make for a tradition worth preserving and practicing? Unless it runs contrary to your religious practice, most people would answer that question with a resounding “yes.” So how to set about choosing gifts?

The first thing to consider with any gift buying is the personality and needs of the person for whom you’re buying the gift. If you are choosing a gift for your significant other, this will likely be the person you know best of all. In that sense it will be easy. However, this will also likely be the person upon whom you will likely want to lavish the most attention in choosing a gift. Christmas can be a great time to express your devotion and affection in the form of a gift. There are a number of different approaches to this. It may well be the gift upon which you spend the most money, but it needn’t be expensive, just thoughtful.

Likewise for family—you needn’t splash vast sums of cash, but thoughtfulness is imperative. You know them well, don’t you? Consider how well you know your father. Wouldn’t it be shameful to dump a generic store-bought necktie under the tree for him? That is, unless your father is a necktie enthusiast, but they are most definitely in the minority. Consider his character and personality and what he likes to do, and choose accordingly. Follow suit when giving gifts to any family member.

Choosing Christmas gifts for children isn’t too tricky, but don’t think that there’s no art to it. If you think a sweater is a good gift for the average child, then you haven’t been paying attention to their reaction when they open the gift, nor comparing it to their reaction when they open that video game or stuffed toy. Unless it’s a replica shirt representing their favourite footy player, odds are children won’t appreciate clothes. If they say otherwise it’s not a sincere sentiment but rather a testament to how well their parents have schooled them in receiving gifts gracefully. With kids, find them a toy they’ll really like, full stop.

Now on to friends—for your close friends, you’ve no doubt a clear idea of their likes and dislikes. Shop accordingly. For friends with whom you are less close, you will likely be forced to choose a less intimate trinket. Likewise for co-workers and others you know who are more like close acquaintances than friends, but still manage to work their way onto your gift list.  Perhaps a good choice of a less intimate gift would be Christmas-oriented gifts, such as ornaments.