Wrapping paper is ripped, destroyed, cluttering, overwhelming, and is shadowed by an onslaught of negative adjectives, but that is not the case. All these negative claims about wrapping paper were proven false by a study performed by Daniel Howard, a professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University, showing that wrapping paper can be useful for upcoming holidays like Hanukkah and Christmas. Students showed a positive response to being presented with a gift wrapped in wrapping paper rather than the same gift but wrapped in the manufacturer’s box. “I like the noise [wrapping paper] makes, it makes me happy,” Sawyer Guider ‘25 said. “Wrapping paper can sometimes be a hassle, but it also adds to the surprise of, for example, a new gift or something that just came in the mail,” Charlie Silvestri ‘25 said.

Although wrapping paper creates a splendid gift-giving experience for the receiver, it still matters what you give them. There is a huge range of things to consider when giving a gift, like would you rather give something sentimental, or something more practical. Consider who you are sending a gift to and what the context of the situation is. For example, for the upcoming holidays, a purposeful gift like new socks may not necessarily make students the happiest people on the planet, but something like a Joshua Dobbs Vikings jersey, which is easily purchased from Dick’s Sporting Goods, as well as other sporting equipment, or tickets to the Travis Scott concert on January 20th would. 

However, you may be thinking, it would be hard to wrap something like an article of clothing or slips of paper. This makes Robert Gair’s invention of cardboard boxes in 1890 useful to prepare for situations just like this one. Enjoy your upcoming gift-giving season, and make sure to sprinkle in some wrapping paper to make it a more memorable experience.