I give Christmas gifts because it makes me feel good. I really don’t care whether I get thanks or not, but I mostly do, and I genuinely don’t care if the people I give presents to have got one for me or not.
Christmas is a big deal for me and for my family. My own childhood Christmas memories are not good, but my children have always enjoyed wonderful Christmases and we spend as much time together over the holiday period as we can. We almost always have some extra people joining us and I keep several wrapped gifts in reserve just in case an extra guest pops up at the last minute.
Family, including in-laws, and friends all receive gifts and I don’t spend the same amount on them - I just buy what I can afford without going into debt and match the gift to the recipient. This year I’ve bought something quite extravagant for my daughters and daughter-in-law because I think they deserve to be spoilt after the hard year they’ve had.