Christmas is right around the corner and so is the obligatory cue to participate into the kind of hustle and bustle that only occur during the holiday season. Who could blame us? Christmas lights, decorations, festivities, food and music are everywhere. 

The temptation is simply too much not to give in to singing All I Want for Christmas Is You while wearing a Santa hat. 

Blanketed by the winter’s snow, it could almost pass for the picturesque of a snow globe, but we live in Saskatoon, so it’s more like a brutally cold winter wonderland. However, on the other side of this Hallmark card worthy scene exists an entirely different world. The ugly side of the season.

So why are we still giving ourselves another thing to worry about? Why do we torture ourselves with the number one problem that exists in this trying time? And if you have to ask what the what the issue is well — here it goes: buying presents. 

There is the ‘I have so many things to do before my distant relatives arrive for Christmas’ and ‘oh shit I have to write finals on top of it’ vibe that comes with December. 

For every person that you have on your list to give a present to, how many times will you go over a million ideas just to find a gift that will be “absolutely perfect”? How many scenarios will run over your head on how they will react — will they like it? Is it too much? I overdid it, didn’t I? 

On top of that, you actually don’t know whether this person will love their gift or not. There is a 50 per cent chance that your person is trying to keep a happy face so you don’t realize that you just poured your money down the drain. This  awkward situation could be avoided if we can all just communicate.

Honestly, this whole ordeal is just a rollercoaster of stress and anxiety, which we absolutely don’t need more of at this time of year. To solve this, I encourage you to ask the person you’re buying for what they actually want — or need — for Christmas.

Of course, the same goes for you when someone wants to know what you want — just be honest and tell them. Obviously, you’re not going to ask for keys to a brand new car or the latest Apple phone — I mean, unless you were. If that was the case, then please take a moment to contemplate your ridiculous expectations.

Not to be a Grinch, but there is a fine line between knowing what you want versus being greedy. 

Are you stuck on what’s reasonable to ask for? There’s always cash. Who doesn’t love cash? It’s an easy and hassle free gift! There are always personal items or hygiene products like a nice fragrance or a beard kit, that could make a good gift. Do you want some entertainment memberships like Disney+ or the Remai Modern? Gift cards to your favourite store are also great.The sky’s the limit and you will never run out of options. 

There are more positive outcomes — aside from a happy gift recipient — by asking someone what they want. This is a chance to combat companies who stamp their costly price tag all over their nauseating holiday-themed products and a way to avoid a gift being tossed to the nearest donation bin. Really, it’s a win-win situation. 

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Kristine Jones A. Del Socorro

Graphic: Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor