Wrapped or Unwrapped?

[Nellisir]

My wife's family has a tradition of Santa bringing books - a small stack of books that are left unwrapped under the tree by Santa. The problem is, I take huge amounts of joy in wrapping the books. They just look naked to me, and what can be better than unwrapping books?? I don't mind if mine are left unwrapped, but my wife gets grumpy because she feels she has to wrap my books if I wrap hers, and she's usually wrapping presents late on Christmas Eve as it is.

So, do I wrap the books or not?

(My family usually leaves a gift per child unwrapped under the tree, not a pile of books).

 

[Umbran]

Holiday gift-giving is not about creating debts between people. My giving a gift does not mean they must give me one, and vice versa. That you wrap gifts does not mean she must also....

However, the holidays are also about doing nice things for people. If she really feels she must wrap if you do, give her a break, and don't wrap them. Consider your wrapping restraint to be an extra gift to her.

Or, if you really must, keep it simple. Stick a bow on it, or tie a ribbon around it, but leave off the paper. Consider it... literary lingerie, just barely covered, but with a lot showing.

 

[Nellisir]

Holiday gift-giving is not about creating debts between people. My giving a gift does not mean they must give me one, and vice versa. That you wrap gifts does not mean she must also....

Of course. I really don't mind if she doesn't. I just take fiendish glee in making her unwrap little gift after little gift. One year I wrapped everything in her stocking.

However, I just brought this up to her, and she got annoyed and loudly declared that SANTA DOES NOT WRAP BOOKS*. So, unwrapped it is.

*Santa might not wrap books, but the elvesare sure gonna tie some ribbon.