Someone deserves attribution for this but I have no idea of whom to blame.
Somewhere in our (Moran family) past we started a tradition. It consisted of exchanging names with our kids and their significant others (started as boy friend and girl friends and now spouses).
The assignment is to find a gift that represents the other person. No Target gift cards, no video games just a little ingenuity and thoughtfulness. It is hard to describe the boundaries or perimeters of these gifts. They’ve ranged from original works of art to rocks with Scripture verses on them.
Last year my oldest daughter gave me a written note that was wrapped around her High School Basketball letter. From early on in her life she shared my love of basketball. It was a joy to follow and coach her thru those years. Suddenly as she left high school our relationship deteriorated and she swerved wildly away from the spiritual journey she was pursuing in high school.
The pain of those year is still subsiding but the gift of the letter was her way of sharing her commitment to regain what we had lost. That moment on Christmas morning was a tearfilled hugfest, just what Jesus wants on his birthday.
Give it a try. Exchange names and start early, if you have very many people you’ll find that it takes a while to get through everyone but this is what Christmas was meant to be.