You’re Panicking, So Here’s Some Last Minute Gifts For the Holidays

Thoughts | Catherine Doan

Light snowflakes dust over the gray cityscape skyline as the spirit of holiday cheer settles into every household. Little mice-like university students scurry about, packing up to head home for the holiday season, at last, the exam season is over. One contemplates how many sweaters they need to bring, another wonders if it’s worth it to pack up their entire knitting project, and one more smiles at the thought of seeing family again after so long.

But amongst them, all are a small group of students staring out the window with blown wide eyes, struck with a single panicked realization:

They haven’t gotten gifts for the holidays for their family.

Well, fear not! Here is a list to help you out this holiday season —conveniently ranked and rated in terms of price, acquirement time, mobility, receiver satisfaction, and memorability!

#1: Socks (with a joke!)

Time - 2/5

Price - 5/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 3/5

Mobility - 5/5

Memorability - 5/5

Total - 20/25

It’s cliché, it’s our worst nightmare as a kid, it’s a horrible gift—which is precisely why there’s a joke slapped on it! Get Mom a cheese-themed sock for that time she accidentally cleans out the fridge of cheese, find Dad a nice pair of fish-themed socks to remind him of that time he failed to reel in a fish on that trip and nearly fell into the lake—or even better, source a pair of family matching banana socks to torment the younger sibling over that one embarrassing video from their childhood! The point is to be unique and specific with the joke!

#2: Bath Bombs

Time - 5/5

Price - 4/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 3/5

Mobility - 5/5

Memorability - 2/5

Total - 19/25

A classic, but a good one. Overall, it is a solid choice for the members of the family who like to take their time in the tub- we all know that one person who spends hours there. It is generally found at the nearest mall. While it is not very original or memorable, the ease of acquiring them easily makes up—time’s of the essence here.

#3: Christmas Ornaments

*(Amazon, Valery Madelyn Glass Christmas Ornaments Set)*

Time - 3/5

Price - 3/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 4/5

Mobility - 5/5

Memorability - 4/5

Total - 19/25

A surprising gift but a relatively easy one to source. Prices and time may vary depending on how nice it should be, the budget, and the amount of panic time available. Pinecones are a staple and generically pretty ones usually don’t go wrong, even if they’re a bit meh. Bonus points if it’s a themed one.

#4: A Little Cactus

Time - 4/5

Price - 3/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 3/5

Mobility - 4/5

Memorability - 4/5

Total - 18/25

A nice pop of green, widely adored and generally well-received by most people. While decently easy to acquire, relatively cheap, and mobile, recipients will likely not be thrilled about receiving this gift. Although, every time they see it, they will probably remember the gifter so that’s a bonus, right? That being said, empirical data suggests getting mothers this gift is highly probable to decrease the frequency of calls home—if needed.

#5: One Really Ornate Plate

Time - 2/5

Price - 2/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 4/5

Mobility - 4/5

Memorability - 5/5

Total - 17/25

Hilarious, memorable, and highly mobile—although finding the perfect one can get expensive and time-consuming. It is a little volatile and dependent on the person, but it is a generally safe fallout for mothers if there is no other good option. The alternative…

#6: Scented Candles

Time - 5/5

Price - 4/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 2/5

Mobility - 5/5

Memorability - 1/5

Total - 17/25

A classic. Easy to find and relatively cheap. However, it is very basic as a gift—and how many people unironically use gifted scented candles regularly? There is the matter of personal taste though, the disappointment of wanting something else, and even the inkling of realization from them, that the gifter might have forgotten to get a gift for them and that this is the last-minute alternative!

#7: Merch of Their Favourite Interests

Merch of their Favourite Interest

Time - 2/5

Price - 2/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 5/5

Mobility - 3/5

Memorability - 5/5

Total - 17/25

An absolute crowd pleaser and ultimately what gift giving should be. Whether they are goldfish cracker pillows, a WWII-themed chess set or even a T-shirt with their oshi (favourite content creator), this gift will surely land a top spot on the favourites list. However, finding the gift is different: it will be costly, both monetarily and in terms of time. A solid gift, but it is a very high investment.

#8: Calendar

Time - 4/5

Price - 3/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 2/5

Mobility - 5/5

Memorability - 2/5

Total - 16/25

Another solid budget-friendly option, although this one lands even less memorability. Having it in certain themes or as a piece of merch may buy brownie points, but most people seldom use a physical calendar nowadays for a reason.

#9: Interesting but Useless Decorative Pieces

Time - 2/5

Price - 3/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 4/5

Mobility - 3/5

Memorability - 5/5

Total - 15/25

The wildcard option: if a really interesting and creative piece is found, it is guaranteed to leave a strong impression and create lasting memories. But similarly, it is less mobile, cheap, or time-constraint-friendly compared to the other options on this list.

#10: Gift Cards

Time - 5/5

Price - 2/5

Receiver Satisfaction - 2/5

Mobility - 5/5

Memorability - 1/5

Total - 15/25

Low effort, high mobility, a good where the price directly translates to monetary value on the receiver end… At this point, one might as well just give them hard cash. Just because the gift is last minute does not mean it has to look the part.