I will begin by considering past research completed over Christmas trends and games. Next, I will introduce my findings of how a freshman student at Indiana University celebrates and exchanges her gifts. In addition, I will provide examples from my own family’s Christmas that are unique to other families. Finally, I will provide a brief overview of my key findings in the research I have concluded.
To begin one must understand there many reasons people celebrate Christmas. Although the religious aspect of Christmas is a major reason it is celebrated, I will focus on the gift exchange aspect instead. One study of Christmas in America was performed and written by Theodore Caplow titled “Christmas Gifts and Kin Networks.” In the study Caplow found that most gifts shared on Christmas in an America town are either clothes (35%) or toys (10%) with many smaller percentages on other gifts. During his research Caplow stated, “Middletown people are expected to give a Christmas gift every year to their grandparents, parents, spouses, children, grandchildren, and to all siblings and siblings’ spouses with whom they have an