Atoke’s Monday Morning Banter: Yo! It’s Gifts Season

As the year draws to an end, I find my mind slowly shutting down as well.  Thoughts of the Christmas holidays, the joy, merriment and events that usually come with this season. Oh! I almost forgot the gifts. Christmas is normally associated with gifts, so it’s that time of the year when we start thinking about gifts for our friends, and loved ones.

When we were younger, gifts were almost always guaranteed; birthdays and Christmas. In fact, if you were good, you’d get to even say what you wanted. However, as we grew older things changed. We had to join the rank of “the givers” as well. So when your friend is getting married, or having a baby shower, you start thinking of what gift to buy. Birthdays are tricky, so you can actually get away with not going overboard with the gift. If the person isn’t really a close friend, then maybe a birthday card would work. (Meanwhile, I think I’m the only one in the world who absolutely cannot stand birthday cards! But that’s a rant for another day.)

A little while ago, the standard operating procedure during Nigerian wedding reception parties is that at some point during the programme, the eMCee would make an announcement that people with gifts should drop their gifts at a designated location.  However,  I’ve found that they’ve either stopped making these announcements or you find that very few gifts are stacked in the gifts corner.  Wondering if I was the only one who had noticed this new trend, I asked my friend who said “When we’ve finished using our money to buy expensive aso-ebi and planning bridal shower, we don’t have money to be buying gifts abeg!” Someone else said that the predominant wedding gifts were mostly stuff that people had in their houses already and there was a “scarcity of gift ideas.“

This weekend, Mnena and Dooshima were talking about how people no longer bring gifts to parties. Mnena had been to a baby’s birthday party where it appeared that she was the only one who had brought the baby a present. Dooshima, with her sharp mouth responded that “People who spend millions of Naira on Champagne and events venue don’t need my measly rattle or baby clothes!“

It was funny, and it made me think about an invite to a baby shower I received. The invite came with the gift list and a lot of times this is so helpful because you can plan properly and know that you’re actually purchasing something that the person needs… as opposed to the person accumulating 40 different types of those plastic food warmers.

As I wrap up this piece, (I need to hurry back to compiling my Christmas wishlist) I’d like you guys to share your experiences. When was the last time you gave or received a gift? How do you decide what gift to give? Are you like my silly friend, Tayo who says “I don’t give gifts oh, people give me ni!”  Has the giving of gifts during “occasions” gone extinct? and finally…. Let me know where I should send my wishlist when I’m done compiling it 😉

Have a great week people. Find a reason to smile, remember to keep your head up.

Love, peace and cupcakes!

Toodles.

Photo credit: www.tumblr.com/tagged/christmas-presents