Give a creative gift this season

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The air is filled with a sense of enthusiasm and fervour gently coaxing people into the spending mode.

Jingles! Hoardings! Video clips! Print ads! Pamphlets! Advertisements of every sort are being featured across the country in every possible manner.

Recession and GDP (gross domestic product) seem to take a back seat even as they herald the festive season. The Christmas spirit has set in.

It is now that even Scrooges relax their tight fists and display uncharacteristic generosity. Thanks to the spirit of Christmas!

However, if you want to give a unique gift this season you could make it creative, trendy and useful if you only gave it a little thought about it, for gifts are symbolic of your love, hope and trust towards the recipient of your gift!

According to the Bible, the Magi or Wise Men, followed the guiding star and found the newborn baby Christ in the manger who they foresaw would eventually become the King of the Jews.It is said that they presented him with gold, frankincense and myrrh symbolic of kingship, asceticism and suffering.

Though the gifts appeared to be ambiguous, the spirit behind them made them special and futuristic. They heralded joy, hope and peace – the hallmarks of a well-meaning gift.They wrapped up the essence of Jesus Christ and his personality.

If you want your gift to make the right impact, you could give potted plants or seeds of flowering plants and vegetables and spread the “green word” around.

Or, you could use your skills in arts and crafts to create a beautiful gift or a greeting card for them. Just in case you are not the arty sort, you could write a sincere handwritten appreciative note punctuating it with some heartfelt gratitude if you think he or she deserves it apart from any other item you think your recipient may fancy.

It is quite possible that some people who are reading this piece may find the suggestions a trifle old-fashioned in spirit.

But one should remember that the Christmas spirit is around two millennia old but the mystique of the “Gift of the Magi” has not lost its charm.

Merry Christmas