This is such a great article, thank you! I've been thinking about 'love languages' recently, one of those is 'receiving gifts'. I find giving gifts as a display of love very problematic in general - like buying stuff has some inherent meaning, which I'd argue it rarely does - any fool can buy something, it's not exactly effort. Perhaps a hand-made gift has meaning, but most poeple don't do that - they buy shit! I believe 'receiving gifts' should be taken off the love languages list!

Full disclosure - my troubled mother spent lavishly on my siblings and I every Christmas, getting into debt each time (that we all suffered during the year). I believe it was the only way she was able to show love, she almost never hugged us or spent quality time, sadly she has untreated mental health issues. By the time I was 14, I found receiving gifts a very empty experience, so I am biased towards the idea of gifts.

Still, I'd argue my point still stands regardless of my personal experience.