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{{Short description|Item given to someone without the expectation of anything in return}}
{{other uses}}
{{Redirect|Presents}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2018}}
[[File:Prezenty EXP 096 (ubt).JPG|thumb|Small gift boxes]]

A '''gift''' or '''present''' is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although '''gift-giving''' might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many countries, the act of mutually exchanging [[money]], [[property|goods]], etc., may sustain [[social relationship]]s and contribute to [[social cohesion]]. Economists have elaborated the [[economics]] of gift-giving into the notion of a [[gift economy]]. By extension, the term ''gift'' can refer to any item or act of service that makes the other [[happiness|happier]] or less [[sad]], especially as a favor, including [[forgiveness]] and [[kindness]]. Gifts are often presented on occasions such as [[birthday]]s and [[holiday]]s.

== History ==
{{Expand section|date=January 2025}}
Gift-giving has played a central role in social and economic systems throughout human history. Anthropologist [[Marcel Mauss]] argued in ''[[The Gift (essay)|The Gift]]'' (1925) that gifts in archaic societies were embedded in systems of obligation, where the act of giving, receiving, and reciprocating created enduring social bonds.<ref>Mauss, Marcel. ''The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies''. Routledge, 1954.</ref> In many early civilizations, gifts were used for religious offerings, royal tribute, diplomatic negotiations, and public displays of generosity by elites. Over time, gift-giving evolved into a broader practice encompassing both ceremonial and personal exchanges.

=== Ancient ===
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In [[Ancient Egypt]] and [[Mesopotamia]], gifts were presented to rulers and deities as symbols of devotion or allegiance. Archaeological records and cuneiform tablets describe tributes of grain, livestock, and precious metals given as offerings or tokens of loyalty.<ref>Wilkinson, Richard H. ''The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt''. Thames & Hudson, 2003.</ref>

In [[Ancient Greece]], the institution of ''[[xenia]]'' (guest-friendship) involved ritualized gift exchanges between hosts and guests. These practices, frequently described in [[Homeric epics]] such as the ''[[Odyssey]]'', served to strengthen social ties and demonstrate respect.<ref>Homer. ''The Odyssey'', translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics, 1996.</ref>

In the [[Roman Empire|Roman world]], elites gave ''[[munera]]'' (public gifts or services), including gladiatorial games and food distributions, as acts of civic generosity and to enhance political reputation.<ref>Hopkins, Keith. ''Conquerors and Slaves''. Cambridge University Press, 1978.</ref>

In [[Ancient China]], gift-giving was guided by the Confucian ideal of ''[[Li (Confucianism)|li]]'' (ritual propriety). Formal exchanges of gifts—such as jade, scrolls, or tea—were common among the aristocracy and scholars and symbolized respect and social hierarchy.<ref>Li, Chenyang. ''The Confucian Philosophy of Harmony''. Routledge, 2013.</ref>

Many ancient religious traditions also incorporated gift-giving. In the [[Rigveda]], patrons offered cattle, gold, and horses to priests as part of ritual sacrifices.<ref>Griffith, Ralph T.H. ''The Hymns of the Rigveda''. Evinity Publishing Inc., 2009.</ref> In [[Christian tradition]], the [[Biblical Magi|Magi]]'s presentation of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant [[Jesus]] is an early example of symbolic religious gift-giving, commemorated in modern [[Christmas]] customs.<ref>[[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 2:11, Holy Bible.</ref>

=== Medieval ===
In the 760s, [[Bregowin]] ([[archbishop of Canterbury]]) gave a [[bone casket]] to [[Lul (bishop)|Lul]] (the [[bishop of Mainz]]).<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Wilson Clay |first=John-Henry |date=2009-12-01 |title=Gift-giving and books in the letters of St Boniface and Lul |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jmedhist.2009.08.004 |journal=[[Journal of Medieval History]] |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=313–325 |doi=10.1016/j.jmedhist.2009.08.004 |issn=0304-4181}}</ref> This was the only known instance of gift-giving between 8th-century missionaries.<ref name=":4" />

Donations to [[monasteries]] in [[medieval Europe]] peaked between the 9th and 12th centuries.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Silber |first=Ilana F. |date=1995 |title=Gift-giving in the great traditions: the case of donations to monasteries in the medieval West |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23997785 |journal=European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie / Europäisches Archiv für Soziologie |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=209–243 |doi=10.1017/S0003975600007542 |jstor=23997785 |issn=0003-9756|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Eventually, people began to explain this by claiming that monks or other holy people contributed disproportionately to a "[[treasure of merit]]".<ref name=":5" />

In sixteenth and seventeenth century France, gift-giving was often [[patronage]] in disguise.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=KETTERING |first=SHARON |date=1988-06-01 |title=Gift-Giving and Patronage in Early Modern France |url=https://academic.oup.com/fh/article-abstract/2/2/131/638758?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=French History |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=131–151 |doi=10.1093/fh/2.2.131 |issn=0269-1191|url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{Rp|page=131}} This was hidden by terms like [[wikt:grâces|grâces]], [[wikt:bonté|bonté]], and [[wikt:bienveillance|bienveillance]].<ref name=":6" />{{Rp|page=137}} Sometimes actual gifts were given with [[patron-client letters]]. These often included money, [[hunting birds]], food, and cloth,<ref name=":6" />{{Rp|pages=138–139}} and occasionally messengers as well.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp|page=140}}

=== Modern ===
Gift-giving during [[Christmas celebrations]] in the U.S. began in the early 19th century, initially in the [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid-Atlantic]] region.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Waits |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xn0VCgAAQBAJ&pg=PR16 |title=The Modern Christmas in America: A Cultural History of Gift Giving |date=1994 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-9284-1 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=xvi}} This kind of celebration was [[Northern European]] and had its roots in [[Lutheran theology]].<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=xvi}} During this era, gifts were usually small and handmade.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=xvi}}

In the late 19th century, U.S. Christmas celebrations began to grow in scale, with more manufacturing of goods.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=xvii}} As early as 1880, the country's businesspeople had begun taking advantage of the holiday to sell more.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=xix}}

In Japan, [[Valentine's Day]] gift giving was introduced by [[Morozoff Ltd.]] in 1936,<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Minowa |first1=Yuko |last2=Khomenko |first2=Olga |last3=Belk |first3=Russell W. |date=March 2011 |title=Social Change and Gendered Gift-Giving Rituals: A Historical Analysis of Valentine's Day in Japan |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0276146710375831 |journal=Journal of Macromarketing |language=en |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=44–56 |doi=10.1177/0276146710375831 |issn=0276-1467|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and initially targeted foreigners living near [[Kobe]].<ref name=":2" /> The holiday was then reintroduced in the 1950s, but was not popular.<ref name=":2" /> It only became popular in the 1970s, when it was framed as a time for women to give gifts to men.<ref name=":2" /> To fix the gender imbalance, [[White Day]] was introduced for the men to give back to women.<ref name=":2" /> The typical gift on Valentine's Day in Japan is ''[[giri choko]]'' ("obligation chocolate").<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Gordenker |first=Alice |date=2006-03-21 |title=White Day |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2006/03/21/reference/white-day/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=The Japan Times |language=en}}</ref> Typical gifts on White Day include chocolate, jewelry, and clothes.<ref name=":3" /> 

Recent changes in gift-giving have been influenced by technology, consumer preferences, and cultural shifts. There is a growing preference for personalized, handmade, or digitally delivered gifts over traditional store-bought items. Customized gifts like hand-drawn [[Portrait|portraits]] and [[Personalized book|personalized books]] are increasingly popular, offering more emotional and cultural significance. E-commerce has played a key role in this transformation, with online platforms providing a convenient way to order personalized and virtual gifts. The article from [[ScienceDaily]] discusses research by the [[University of Bath]] showing that personalized gifts create lasting emotional connections and boost self-esteem. The study found that recipients of personalized gifts, such as custom portraits, mugs or clothing, feel more cherished and are more likely to value and care for these items.<ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241218132144.htm ScienceDaily, "Personalized Gifts Foster Emotional Connections," December 2024]</ref> The emotional impact is enhanced when the thought and effort behind the personalization are communicated. Personalized gifts foster deeper relationships and contribute to sustainability.  Various online platforms have contributed to this trend by offering personalized gifts like hand-drawn portraits and customized books<ref>{{Cite web |title=Custom Portraits and Personalized Books |url=https://blueberryillustrations.com/gifts}}</ref>. University gift shops, such as [[The Duck Store]] and [[The Harvard Shop]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Harvard Shop |url=https://shop.harvard.edu}}</ref>, have also embraced this trend, offering customized items that reflect their institutions' traditions. Additional gift types that reflect modern personalization trends include custom jewelry or accessories featuring engraved names, initials, or birthstones; personalized greeting cards or art prints; digital gifts such as NFTs or tailored online experiences like personalized video messages; handcrafted wellness products including soaps or candles with custom labels; and themed experience kits, for example, cooking kits with personalized recipes.

== Presentation ==
In many cultures gifts are traditionally [[packaged]] in some way. For example, in [[Western culture]]s, gifts are often wrapped in [[wrapping paper]] and accompanied by a '''gift note''' which may note the occasion, the recipient's name and the giver's name. In [[Chinese culture]], red wrapping connotes luck. Although inexpensive gifts are common among colleagues, associates and acquaintances, expensive or amorous gifts are considered more appropriate among close friends, romantic interests or relatives.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brigham|first1=John Carl|title=Social Psychology|date=1986|page=322}}</ref>

== Gift-giving occasions  ==
[[File:gifts xmas.jpg|thumb|right|Gifts under a [[Christmas tree]]]]
[[File:Engagement gifts basket (01).jpg|thumb|Modern [[engagement]] gifts basket in Bangladesh.]]
[[File:D. Pedro recevant des mains de L imperatrice l epée du prince Eugene, son père e.b.c.jpg|thumb|Emperor [[Pedro I of Brazil]] receives a sword as a gift from his wife [[Amélie of Leuchtenberg|Amélie]]. The object belonged to her father [[Eugène de Beauharnais]], who was [[Viceroy]] of [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Italy]] and stepson of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]].]]

Gift-giving occasions may be:
* An expression of [[love]] or [[friendship]]
* An expression of [[gratitude]] for a gift received.
* An expression of [[piety]], in the form of [[alms|charity]].
* An expression of [[solidarity (sociology)|solidarity]], in the form of [[mutual aid (organization)|mutual aid]].
* To share [[wealth]].
* To offset misfortune.
* Offering travel [[souvenir]]s.
* Custom, on occasions (often [[celebration (party)|celebrations]]) such as
** A [[birthday]] (the person who has his or her birthday gives [[cake]], etc. and/or receives gifts).
** A [[potlatch]], in societies where status is associated with gift-giving rather than acquisition.
** [[Christmas]] (throughout the history of Christmas gift giving, people have given one another gifts, often pretending they are left by [[Santa Claus]], the [[Christ Child]] or [[Saint Nicholas]]).
** [[Feast of Saint Nicholas]] (people give each other gifts, often supposedly receiving them from [[Saint Nicholas]]).
** [[Easter basket]]s with [[chocolate egg]]s, [[jelly bean]]s, and [[chocolate rabbit]]s are gifts given on [[Easter]].
** [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox Christians]] in Greece, will give gifts to family and friends on the Feast of [[Saint Basil]].
** [[Muslims]] give gifts to family and friends, known as [[Eidi (gift)|Eidi]], on [[Eid al-Fitr]] (the end of [[Ramadan]]) and on [[Eid al-Adha]].
** [[American Jews]] give [[Hanukkah]] gifts to family and friends.
** [[Hindus]] give [[Diwali]] and [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] gifts to family and friends. Rakhi or [[Raksha Bandhan]] is another occasion where brothers give gifts to sisters. 
** [[Buddhists]] give [[Vesak]] gifts to family and friends.
** Gifts are given to among [[African American]] families and friends on [[Kwanzaa]].
** A [[wedding]] (the couple receives gifts and gives [[food]] and/or [[drink]]s at the [[wedding reception]]).
** A [[wedding anniversary]] (each spouse receives gifts).
** A [[funeral]] (visitors bring flowers, the relatives of the deceased give food and/or drinks after the ceremonial part).
** A [[Childbirth|birth]] (the baby receives gifts, or the mother receives a gift from the father known as a [[push present]]).
** Passing an [[Test (assessment)|examination]] (the [[student]] receives gifts).
** [[Father's Day]] (the [[father]] receives gifts).
** [[Mother's Day]] (the [[mother]] receives gifts).
** [[Siblings Day]] (the [[sibling]] receives gifts)
** The exchange of gifts between a guest and a host, is often a traditional practice.
** [[Lagniappe]]
** [[Retirement]] Gifts
** [[:wikt:congratulations|Congratulations]] Gifts
** [[Engagement]] Gifts
** [[Housewarming party]] Gifts
** [[International Women's Day|Women's day]] Gifts
**[[Valentine's Day]]

== Promotional gifts ==
Promotional gifts differ from regular gifts. Recipients may include employees or clients. These gifts are primarily used for advertising. They help promote the brand name and increase its awareness. In promotional gifting, the quality and presentation of the gifts are more important than the gifts themselves, as they serve as a gateway to acquire new clients or associates. {{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

== As reinforcement and manipulation ==
Giving a gift to someone is not necessarily just an altruistic act. It may be given in the hope that the receiver [[Norm of reciprocity|reciprocates]] in a particular way. It may take the form of [[positive reinforcement]] as a [[Reward system|reward]] for [[Compliance (psychology)|compliance]], possibly for an underhand [[Psychological manipulation|manipulative]] and [[abusive]] purpose.<ref name=braiker>{{Cite book|title=Who's Pulling Your Strings ? How to Break The Cycle of Manipulation |first=Harriet B.|last=Braiker |year=2004 |publisher=McGraw Hill Professional |isbn=978-0-07-144672-3}}</ref>

==Unwanted gifts==

Giving the appropriate gift that aligns with the recipient's preferences poses a formidable challenge. Gift givers commonly err in the process of gift selection, either by offering gifts that the recipients' do not wish to receive or by failing to provide gifts that recipients earnestly desired. For example, givers avoid giving the same gifts more than once while recipients are more open to receiving a repeated gift,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Givi |first=Julian |date=2020-09-01 |title=(Not) giving the same old song and dance: Givers' misguided concerns about thoughtfulness and boringness keep them from repeating gifts |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296320303179 |journal=Journal of Business Research |language=en |volume=117 |pages=87–98 |doi=10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.023 |s2cid=219930823 |issn=0148-2963|url-access=subscription }}</ref> givers prefer to avoid giving [[self-improvement]] products (e.g., [[self-help book]]s) as gifts while recipients are more open to receiving such gifts,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Reshadi |first=Farnoush |date=2023-10-01 |title=Failing to give the gift of improvement: When and why givers withhold self-improvement gifts |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296323003892 |journal=Journal of Business Research |language=en |volume=165 |pages=114031 |doi=10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114031 |s2cid=258819983 |issn=0148-2963|url-access=subscription }}</ref> when choosing between giving digital and physical [[gift card]]s, givers opt for the latter more often than recipients want,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Reshadi |first1=Farnoush |last2=Givi |first2=Julian |last3=Das |first3=Gopal |date=May 2023 |title=Gifting digital versus physical gift cards: How and why givers and recipients have different preferences for a gift card's mode of delivery |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.21790 |journal=Psychology & Marketing |language=en |volume=40 |issue=5 |pages=970–978 |doi=10.1002/mar.21790 |s2cid=255635981 |issn=0742-6046|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and many receivers prefer a future [[experience]] instead of an [[physical object|object]], or a practical gift that they have requested over a more [[expensive]], showier gift chosen by the giver.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Galak |first1=Jeff |last2=Givi |first2=Julian |last3=Williams |first3=Elanor F. |date=December 2016 |title=Why Certain Gifts Are Great to Give but Not to Get: A Framework for Understanding Errors in Gift Giving |journal=Current Directions in Psychological Science |language=en |volume=25 |issue=6 |pages=380–385 |doi=10.1177/0963721416656937 |issn=0963-7214 |doi-access=free}}</ref> One cause of the mismatch between the giver's and receiver's view is that the giver is focused on the act of giving the gift, while the receiver is more interested in the long-term [[utilitarian]] value of the gift.<ref name=":0" />

Due to the mismatch between givers' and recipients' gift preferences, a significant fraction of gifts are unwanted, or the giver pays more for the item than the recipient values it, resulting in a misallocation of economic resources known as a [[deadweight loss]]. Unwanted gifts are often "[[regift]]ed", donated to charity, or thrown away.<ref name="vox">{{Cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/12/21/14032662/christmas-gift-giving-wasteful|title=The economic case against Christmas presents |work=Vox |access-date=December 5, 2017 |date=December 21, 2016 |last=Lee |first=Timothy B. }}</ref> A gift that actually imposes a burden on the recipient, either due to maintenance or storage or disposal costs, is known as a [[white elephant]].

One means of reducing the mismatch between the buyer and receivers' tastes is advance coordination, often undertaken in the form of a [[wedding registry]] or [[Christmas list]]. Wedding registries in particular are often kept at a single store, which can designate the exact items to be purchased (resulting in matching housewares), and to coordinate purchases so the same gift is not purchased by different guests. One study found that wedding guests who departed from the registry typically did so because they wished to signal a closer relationship to the couple by personalizing a gift, and also found that as a result of not abiding by the recipients' preferences, their gifts were appreciated less often.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/24/483426485/new-study-explores-psychology-of-giving-wedding-gifts |title=New Study Explores Psychology Of Giving Wedding Gifts |last=Mendoza |first=Nohely |date=December 26, 2017 |location=Waco, Texas |newspaper= Nexstar Broadcasting }}</ref> 

An estimated $3.4 billion was spent on unwanted Christmas gifts in the United States in 2017<ref name="cent">{{cite news |url=http://www.centexproud.com/news/local/biggest-return-day-of-the-year/888734842 |title=Biggest return day of the year |last=Mendoza |first=Nohely |location=Waco, Texas |access-date=September 19, 2018 |newspaper=Nexstar Broadcasting }}</ref> and $10.1 billion in 2024<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2024/12/20/us-news/americans-will-waste-10-1b-on-unwanted-holiday-gifts-and-53-will-get-a-disappointing-present/|title=Americans will waste $10.1B on unwanted holiday gifts — and 53% will get a disappointing present}}</ref> .The day after Christmas is typically the busiest day for returns in countries with large Christmas gift giving traditions.<ref name="cent" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/unwanted-christmas-presents-returns-busiest-day-year-working-retail-a8138181.html |title=Unwanted Christmas presents set to rise on busiest day of the year for returns |newspaper=The Independent |date=January 2, 2018 |access-date=September 19, 2018 |last=Musaddique |first=Shafi }}</ref> The total unredeemed value of [[gift cards]] purchased in the U.S. each year is estimated to be about a billion dollars.<ref name="vox" />

In some cases, people know the preferences of recipients very well, and can give highly valued gifts. Some value in gift-giving comes from assisted preference discovery - people receiving gifts they did not know they would like, or which they did not know were available. Behavioral economists propose that the non-material value of gifts lies in strengthening relationships by signalling the giver was thoughtful, or spent time and effort on the gift.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/12/19/no-virginia-christmas-is-not-an-orgy-of-wealth-destruction/ |title=No, Virginia, Christmas is not an 'orgy of wealth destruction' |author=Jeff Guo |date=December 19, 2014 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

== Legal aspects ==
{{Main|Gift (law)|Gift tax}}

At [[common law]], for a gift to have legal effect, it was required that there be (1) intent by the donor to give a gift, and (2) delivery to the recipient of the item to be given as a gift.

In some countries, certain types of gifts above a certain monetary amount are subject to taxation. For the United States, see [[Gift tax in the United States]].

In some contexts, gift giving can be construed as [[bribery]]. This tends to occur in situations where the gift is given with an implicit or explicit agreement between the giver of the gift and its receiver that some type of service will be rendered (often outside of normal legitimate methods) because of the gift. Some groups, such as government workers, may have strict rules concerning gift giving and receiving so as to avoid the appearance of impropriety.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Gifts and Payments|url=https://oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Gifts%20and%20Payments|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915183656/https://www2.oge.gov/Web/OGE.nsf/Gifts%20and%20Payments|archive-date=September 15, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2018|website=|publisher=United States Office of Government Ethics|location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>

Cross border monetary gifts are subject to taxation in both source and destination countries based on the treaty between the two countries.

== Religious views ==
[[Lewis Hyde]] claims in ''The Gift'' that [[Christianity]] considers the [[Incarnation]] and subsequent death of [[Jesus]] to be the greatest gift to humankind, and that the [[Jataka]] contains a tale of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] in his incarnation as the Wise Hare giving the ultimate [[alms]] by offering himself up as a meal for [[Śakra (Buddhism)|Sakka]]. (Hyde, 1983, 58–60)

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], the bread and wine that are [[consecrated]] during the [[Divine Liturgy]] are referred to as "the Gifts." They are first of all the gifts of the community (both individually and corporately) to God, and then, after the [[epiklesis]], the Gifts of the [[Body of Christ|Body]] and [[Blood of Christ|Blood]] of [[Christ]] to the Church.

Ritual [[sacrifice]]s can be seen as return gifts to a [[deity]].

== See also ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=18em|
* [[Alms]]
* [[Altruism]]
* [[Moral influence theory of atonement|Atonement]]
* [[Charity (practice)]]
* [[Christmas gift]]
* [[Debt relief]]
* [[Diplomatic gift]]
* [[Gift economy]]
* [[Gift (law)]]
* [[Gift tax]]
* [[Gift wrapping]]
* [[Giving circles]]
* [[Green gifting]]
* [[Omiyage]]
* [[Pasalubong]]
* [[Random act of kindness]]
* [[Red packet]]
* [[Regiving]]
* [[Xenia (Greek)]]
}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Wiktionary-inline|gift}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Gifts}}
{{refbegin}}
* [[Marcel Mauss]] and W.D. Halls, ''Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies'', W. W. Norton, 2000, trade paperback, {{ISBN|0-393-32043-X}}
* [[Lewis Hyde]]: ''[[The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property]]'', 1983 ({{ISBN|0-394-71519-5}}), especially part I, "A Theory of Gifts", part of which was originally published as "The Gift Must Always Move" in ''Co-Evolution Quarterly'' No. 35, Fall 1982.
* [[Jean-Luc Marion]] translated by Jeffrey L. Kosky, "Being Given: Toward a Phenomenology of Giveness", Stanford University Press, 2002 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, (cloth : alk. paper) {{ISBN|0-8047-3410-0}}.
* Suzie Gibson: [https://theconversation.com/give-and-take-the-anxiety-of-gift-giving-at-christmas-34203 "Give and take: the anxiety of gift giving at Christmas"], ''The Conversation'', 16 December 2014.
* {{in lang|fr}} [[Alain Testart]], [http://www.alaintestart.com/critique.htm ''Critique du don : Études sur la circulation non marchande''], Paris, Collection Matériologique, éd. Syllepse, 268 p., 2007
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140221221810/http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/cgi/showme.cgi?keycode=1765 Review of the "World of the Gift"]
* Antón, C., Camarero, C. and Gil, F. (2014), [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cb.1452/abstract The culture of gift giving: What do consumers expect from commercial and personal contexts?] Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 13: 31–41. doi: 10.1002/cb.1452
* {{cite book |title=Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays |year=2009 |author=Joel Waldfogel |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0691142647}}
{{refend}}
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[[Category:Giving| ]]
[[Category:Social influence]]
[[Category:Simple living]]