Gift Giving Season

“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas–everywhere you go,” as the song goes. Decorations are put up all around, with big tall christmas trees decorated with sparkling ornaments, laced ribbon, colorful christmas lights twinkling topped with a bright shining star. The days are getting colder. 

Waking up in the morning, you may feel a cool breeze and chill in the air. On campus, you may see more students walking around wearing jackets, sipping crimson and emerald banded holiday Starbucks cups with rich warm hot cocoa or coffee, and getting into the holiday spirit.

For many students, all of this leads to one question: What do you want for Christmas?

“What do I want for Christmas this year…”

A total of 165 Lahainaluna students and staff were surveyed and asked what they want for Christmas. Responses ranged from new AirPods to, as one respondent requested, “a boyfriend.” Of those surveyed, 22 were staff (13.3 percent), 31 freshman (18.8 percent), 40 sophomores (24.2percent), 44 juniors (26.7 percent), and 28 seniors (17 percent).

The gifts they wanted fit into ten categories: “Books, Toys, & Games,” “Clothes & Accessories," “Electronics,” “Experiences,” “Food & Drink,” “Leisure/Hobbies,” “Money,” “Music/Instruments,” “Pets,” and “Vehicles/Auto Parts.” The responses that could not be fit into those categories were given to “Other.”

Of all the categories, what students wanted the most were “Clothes & Accessories,” including things like new shoes, cute shorts, purses, earrings, and a hoodie. This category was dominated by freshman, sophomores, and juniors with over 34 responses.

Freshman Jayda Eide wanted a swimsuit “so I can look cute at the beach.”

Sophomore Brycen Acio said he wanted a pair of basketball shoes and football cleats “because, my shoes are lowkey kind of broken already, so I really need some new pairs of boots.” Also, he mentioned that basketball season was coming up so “I really hope for a new pair of basketball shoes, 'cause I [was] planning o[n] playing basketball for the club team at Lokahi in the summer.”

Freshman Sofiya Cartagena listed several things including “a MacBook, more rings, like golden rings, and last, new AirPods.” Cartagena mentioned this because “my AirPods got ran over, and, I feel like I need them, and they're, like, way smaller than carrying my Beats around.”

27 students wanted “Electronics,” which was made up mostly of new AirPods, or headphones. The main reason for their requests–theirs was broken or was lost.

One category that was unexpected (personally) was “Vehicles/Auto Parts” with 21 responses. The majority were guys who wanted things like subwoofers or sound systems for their cars. One respondent shared “I want two 12” subs and a full rack because I want my car to scream.” Others wanted to have one or get a brand new car and even a bike or even accessories for their bikes like lights or a seat cover.

For “Money,” people wanted things like gift cards, to restaurants and stores like Taco Bell and even just straight up cash. When asked why, respondents shared things like because they are broke or they want to save up money to go to college whereas senior Kaedon Nakata exclaimed, “Cash? 'Cause it's cash! Who doesn't love cash?!”

One more category I would like to touch on is “Books, Toys, & Games.” Some things I wanted include cookbooks to learn to cook for college, but most wanted toys. Mainly plushies like Jellycat plushies, but one respondent shared “I want a Darth Vader neopixel lightsaber because I could have lightsaber battles with my friends.”

Staff answers were different. They often wanted things like money, a car, and a house. But the majority of them did not want material items, valuing experiences such as a vacation and peace and happiness to everything else.

“What do I want for Christmas this year is... maybe sports equipment for my son,” said Hulita Faitua, the current 12th grade counselor. For herself: “I would love to have, perhaps, um, free airline ticket to, um, somewhere of my choice internationally.”

Mari Finn, our school's Technology Coordinator, “would like a lot of rain, so that our aina can be replenished, and not as dry. And I would also like... It's never gonna happen, but world peace, for our Hawaii, to be at peace with the government, and our funding not to get cut. And no hate.”

Finn, who became somewhat emotional during her interview, thinks, “it would bring me peace if there was more happiness and love in the world, and who wouldn't be fighting. And less discrimination.”

“...I can see the happiness of people's faces.”

Staff and student responses were mixed on whether they preferred giving or receiving gifts. And many, like Frosty, an anonymous sophomore, predictably preferred to receive gifts . “Receiving? No, my God, I don't want to be, like, greedy, but like, yeah,” they said. “I mean, I'm not gonna lie,” answered senior Nakata, “Receiving.” Nevertheless, many students revealed more excitement about giving.

Junior Ethan Luck likes giving gifts because “it makes me feel good,” even though he also likes receiving them “because, you know, you get the item.” Freshman Jayda Eide also likes both: “it's fun, like, shopping for people. And it's also fun to see what others bought you.”

“I don't know, I like to see people's reactions,” says Junior Gracie Dean who strongly prefers giving. “I also give, like, very thoughtful gifts,” she added. “Like, not even necessarily, like, expensive, but, like, things that I know people wanted for, like, a really long time.”

“I'm a firm believer that if you give love and presence,” said senior MJ Vasquez, who became abstract about the question, “that is the best form of love and the best gift that you can ever give someone.”

Finn admits that she hasn’t “been in the holiday spirit in a long time.” She prefers giving to receiving gifts because “I don't expect anything, like, not even from like Santa. But I think giving is a better feeling for me, because I can see the happiness of people's faces."

“Togetherness… that's the main foundation”

Some students look beyond the presents, reporting that they valued the time spent with family and friends more than material things. 

Sophomore Christopher Apilado, shares that people look forward to receiving presents and instead of not looking forward to what the actual purpose of the holiday is, which is having a great time with the people around you… [which] is something I cherish and value.”

He gives the notion that sometimes we mistake the feeling of the holiday with the feeling of receiving presents. Adding on to the idea, Apilado continues, “kids, they know Christmas is the time for presents and gifts and although that is true, they are more excited for that instead of the actual purpose.”

Mele Faleta, a sophomore, remembers “one of the best Christmas gifts I got was seeing a family member. Yeah. One of my older brothers, because I haven't seen him in, like, a long time when I was little. And he finally came back, and it was really nice to be next to him again.”

Through wanting and gifts from others, everyone interviewed put a main value on family, friends and spending time with others.

Frosty said they valued “seeing family, and getting to see my sister from college.”

Freshman Jonathan Mau said what he values “is that everyone gets together for the holidays, especially when it gets super cold, everyone is all together, everyone's talking stories, everyone's sharing memories. And I think it's a good and jolly time, because you're all with your family and friends.

Jowy Langaman, a senior, valued “Togetherness, you know. I think that's like the main foundation of things like holidays and stuff, you know?”

Though most celebrate the holiday, for Christmas time, some have never celebrated Christmas.

Senior Mia Palacio said “Well, I've never celebrated Christmas. It's, like, against my church, but I love those places, my favorite holiday. What I like most about Christmas is, um, the music and just how everyone's so jolly. I am not allowed to have Christmas, no. But it's my favorite holiday. I value family, being with them. Especially... in this day and age. I often take loved ones for granted, and then reality hits."

Similarly Finn said, “I'm not religious. I know some people are, and they looked to God during these holiday times, because of, you know, Jesus and stuff. But I think just being together and sharing that personal bond with others is the most important thing. And then, you know, there's no hate. There's love.”