Did you know that giving gifts on Christmas was likely influenced by the life of Nikolaos of Myra? He was a 4th century saint, who was famed for his adoration of gift giving. Also gift giving likely came from strong associations with the gifts of the Magi to Jesus. Gift giving on Christmas is something people have done for as long as the early 1800s, and we’re all familiar with having to pretend we loved a gift that we really didn’t. Whether it was the gift not matching our style, or just simply not having any use for it we’ve all received a gift we hate. However, a lot of us have also given a gift that we could tell the other person disliked. It can be difficult to get the perfect gift for our friends or family, leading many people to turn to the internet for ideas and tips for the best possible gift. Teenagers are seen as difficult to buy for because they have different tastes from when their parents were younger, and can be less open about the things that they like. TeenVouge writers Shauna Beni and Aiyana Ishmael, sorted into categories the best gift to get depending on the type of teenager you’re buying for. The list they made is as follows:

• Best Gift Overall: Alpabeing Inflatable lounger
• Best Affordable Gift: Etsy Custom Handmade Flower Resin Letter Keychain 
• Best Gift for Teen Girls: UGG Mini Platform Boots
• Best Gift for Teen Boys: Nintendo Switch Lite Console 
• Best For Beauty Lovers: MILK Makeup The Starter Pack: Natural Makeup Look Set
• Best Tech Gift: Redragon GS520 RGB Desktop Speakers
• Best for the Teen Who Loves Skin Care: Chefman Portable Mini Fridge
• Best for the Teen Who Has Everything: Mejuri Gift Card
• Best for the Teen Who Loves Music: Crosley Voyager Bluetooth Record Player
• Most Popular Gift for Teens: Hyodream 3D Moon Lamp

Buying gifts for your family of any age can be difficult, luckily a House Beautiful article by Medgina Saint-Elien and Isis Briones lists several gifts to get your loved ones, Some of which are:

• Personalized Family Mugs from Uncommon Goods
• Family Camera Set from The Adventure Challenge
• Throw Throw Burrito Game from Exploding Kittens
• Suspend Family Game from Melissa & Doug
• Indoor S’mores Maker from Nostalgia
• Crayola Ultimate Light Board for Drawing and Coloring From Crayola 
• Popcorn Kernels and Popcorn Seasoning Variety Pack from Urban Accents
• Brain Freeze Family Card Game from Player Ten
• Culture Cakes Kit from CrateJoy
• Custom Family Illustration from Personalized Bee Co.

I asked students of MASH what the best Christmas present they ever received was, who that gift was from, what age they received it, and what they want most for Christmas this year. The majority of students said that they received the best christmas present ever before the age of ten, Cole Araujo said that the best gift he’s received was his dog from his mom when he was five, Brianna Beish said the best christmas gift she ever received was a stuffed unicorn from her father when she was seven, Jacob Braymiller said that the best gift he’s ever received was a 3Ds from his dad when he was seven, Trevor Milesend said that the best gift he’s received was his phone from his mom when he was ten, and Travis Custard said that the best gift he’s ever received was a manga from his aunt when he was fourteen, The gift list these students put together is as follows:

• Lava lamp
• Polaroid camera
• Nintendo switch
• Amazon money 
• Sleep

The Holiday season is stressful and many struggle with the tasks that come with this time of year, but the joy of friends and family together is always worth it in the end. Happy Holidays and good luck gifting!