Money is probably one of the worst gifts to receive on Christmas. Its always disappointing to see the green wad of money buried at the bottom of a box or envelope after spending the night imagining exciting possible gifts, like a pet or a custom-made cardboard puzzle. Although the wad staring back at the receiver tells the recipient they are loved, it also tells them that the person giving them the gift does not know them well enough to discern what gift they would like or is not willing to take time out of their schedule to get it or both. The wad robs the recipient of the joy of a truly unexpected gift, which is part of the magic of any gift-giving celebration. Instead, the recipients get to wander along rows of endless aisles, selecting a lonely item for themselves.
This mistake may be excusable for distant relatives since, lets face it, relatives that up once a year for a week probably don’t know each other that well. However, close family members and relatives are not excused since they should know each other well enough to make an educated guess about what a person would like. The Internet makes it so they have even less of an excuse since all they had to do was spend a few minutes online finding and ordering a product. It even gets delivered directly to their doorstep in a package that can be placed directly under the Christmas tree.
Overall, cash is a poor present. Although it is better than nothing, it also serves as a sad message on a holiday that should be happy. Cash given to a person would be much better spent getting a gift for that same person. Even if someone feels like they don’t know the recipient well enough to give them a gift they will appreciate, just talk to some family members that do. There is a very good chance they would be kind enough to share information about what the person likes. Even if they don’t like the gift, at least you can say you tried. After all, a thoughtful gift is better than a wad of cash.