csteele,

Thank you for adding some more thoughts to the idea of gift giving.
Your comments reminded me of my mother and her regular gift giving offerings to her friends and neighbours. She likes to cook, and most days she will find a way to distribute something around her circle of close associates. I've often been fascinated at the gift exchange that goes on amongst them. They are always giving and then receiving something in return. It's a never-ending loop of outgoings and incomings, which seems to strengthen and maintain the bonds of within the circle - a perfect example of a gift economy.

I understood Squeers's point regarding consumer society's usurping of gift-giving culture where it's become simply a money spinner where people are programmed to to give gifts more as part of a consumer ritual than for any meaningful bonding or sense of community.