When we think of a gift, our focus often turns to how it makes the recipient feel. However, psychology and neuroscience suggest that giving may have an equal, if not greater, impact on the giver. There is a neurological basis for the joy we experience when we give to others. Jessica Andrews-Hanna, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona, points to “evidence from brain imaging [suggesting] that both giving gifts and receiving gifts activate core areas of our brain associated with reward and pleasure.” A wealth of research supports the idea that spending time or money on others boosts overall happiness. This concept is echoed in behavioral economics through the idea of the “warm glow” – the emotional uplift people experience when donating to a good cause. At its core, gifting is a timeless part of human culture and a meaningful way to build and maintain social connections. However, gifting is not exclusive to humans – it is, in fact, a widespread phenomenon across the animal kingdom. Female spiders, for instance, impress potential mates by presenting prey wrapped in silk. A 99-million-year-old amber fossil even revealed evidence of gifting behavior dating back to the age of dinosaurs: a male fly was preserved mid-offer, holding a “frothy balloon made of mucus” between his legs. Bonobos, one of our closest relatives, also display altruistic gift-giving behavior. They have been observed giving up prized foods like bananas and apples to build social bonds with others. Clearly, the practice of giving gifts transcends human culture and is deeply rooted in the natural world.

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