Last day I came across Redditgifts, the annual gifts exchange program by ‘the front page of the internet’. And after signing up for its Secret Santa program, today I thought I will endorse it on my website. Because not many people know about it.
I dig the idea of gifting random people. Buying a gift and making a thoughtful effort for a person you don’t know sitting miles away, probably in a different country, living their own life sounds fascinating to me. And if you think about it for a minute it might feel fascinating to you too.
I think everyone should participate in it or anything similar; if not for the art of giving, just for the feels. I also recently called out people who do not participate in their workplace’s Secret Santa program. And my case for it has to do with our increasingly isolated lives.
Some days when I’m feeling low, if there’s one thing that keeps me in high spirits, it is waiting for something that I am expecting. It could be a book or some food I ordered or even a day when I’m meeting my friends. The act of waiting for something – something pleasant – is what I would like to endorse here. And Redditgifts feels like a driver of that act of waiting.
The minimum amount you have to spend is $20 – which is not much even if you are naturally forced to convert it to Indian rupees – and if you are lucky, you could get matched to international participants as well. Surely, it does not mean you will have to ship a gift back to another international participant. Redditgifts’s algorithm tries hard to match you to participants of your country.
Such gifts exchange programs can act as a driver of a sense of community in us. Publicizing your generous charity work may help you save on taxes and get likes on social media, but they won’t make you feel good. On the other hand, Redditgifts will. Here are some photos from past exchanges.
While Secret Santa is the only exchange currently available, there are a lot of other exchanges that happen throughout the year. For instance, for Indians and the Indian diaspora around the world, there was this Diwali 2018 exchange that happened in October. You can check out more of them at this link (if you do decide to sign up, use this link so that I get an extra credit) – http://www.redditgifts.com/?inv=E9qC. TN.
Signups for the Secret Santa program ends November 26. So, hurry!
2 responses to “Endorsing Redditgifts”
I have never quite warmed up to the idea of Secret Santa, largely because it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll end up with a disappointing present, as will whoever gets a present from me. My own family has acknowledged this: we never give each other surprise presents, it’s far more convenient to just ask each other what we want for our birthdays and then give each other the cash to buy it! The joy of giving and the milk of human kindness and all that aside, gift exchanges with strangers are bound to be purely random experiences, IMO. For each awesome ‘oh-my-god-that-was-just-what-i-wanted’ present, there are a hundred drab ‘oh-joy-look-at-this-wonderful-stapler-you-got-me’ presents.
Also, Redditgifts from my own countrymen? Now there’s a scary thought, if the userbase of r/India is anything to go by!
Yes, I like those random experiences. I have fallen prey to that stapler incident more than once. I spent good money on a Christmas gift a few years back and all I received was a thank-you note saying that my gift was on its way. Still waiting.
Also, I am stressing on the part about giving without expecting here. And I think we rarely give out to the world. Which is why Redditgifts appealed to me. But, I get your point totally, including the one about r/India. Upsets me a little.
And thank you for reading more of my website, Hugh. Cheers.