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An introduction is presented that previews a section of the newspaper that discusses 50 gifts from countries outside the U.S. for the 2015 holiday season.

The article lists 50 food-themed items to give as gifts during the 2013-2014 holiday season. Items include a Bread of the Month Club by the Pain D'Avignon bakery in Hyannis, Massachusetts, a brass and marble mortar and pestle created by British designer Tom Dixon, and Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum by Australian beauty brand Aesop. INSET: Booze for Hairdressers.

A humorous essay on the lessons of gift giving and gift receiving at Christmas imparted by the fictitious character Ebenezer Scrooge in the book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, adapted from the book "The Christmas Virtues: A Treasury of Conservative Tales for the Holidays" by Rob Long, is presented.

The article presents tips gleaned from psychological studies concerning gift-giving including giving loved ones gifts that reflect the nature of the gift-giver in order to create more closeness, being cautious when purchasing gifts for men, and not bundling an expensive gift with an item of lesser value.

The article examines a trend in which couples are choosing to stream their weddings for their friends over the Internet in order to allow more people to see their nuptials without having to travel long distances. Topics include a discussion of streaming services like My Streaming Wedding and I Do Stream, which facilitate streamed weddings, why couples choose to invite only a few people and stream the event online, and a discussion of gift-giving etiquette for online weddings.

The article discusses makeup as a holiday gift for 2012. It covers difficulties in selecting cosmetics that will match the recipient's skin tone, noting that in response manufacturer's offer gift sets that offer multiple options. Other topics covered include the packaging of gift sets, as well as sets from cosmetic companies such as Dior, Lancôme, and Benefit Cosmetics.

The article discusses the psychology of gift-giving. Research indicates that gift-givers aren't as offended by the recipient's re-gifting of their gift as the original recipient thinks they might be. Givers of heartfelt, thoughtful gifts derive a greater emotional benefit from them the the people who receive those gifts.

The article discusses gifts given to Queen Elizabeth II by heads of state and others on special occasions, with a particular emphasis on a lamprey pie the city of Gloucester, England will send the queen to mark her 60th year on the throne. Lampreys are generally not considered particularly attractive or appetizing, but pies made of them are a gift-giving tradition in Gloucester.

The article offers the author's insights on the approach to socially responsible gifts which include charitable donations in the recipient's name and give away of box of chocolates.

The article focuses on economists views for the act of gift giving including role of gift in understanding of primitive economies, research related to spirit of giving, and idea of sentimental value.

The article describes aggressive tactics by retailers to increase holiday sales. Some email or phone prospective customers with wish lists of relatives. The online retailer Net-a-Porter.com sends out videos that relay a similar message. Authorities on etiquette question the propriety of such approaches, which have generally proven effective.

The article focuses on an increase which is being seen in new car sales incentive programs which are being offered by luxury car companies in December, in an effort to increase the numbers of new cars which are sold as holiday gifts. A discussion of promotions which are being offered by Lexus, BMW AG and Cadillac, is presented. The advantages and disadvantages of buying an automobile as a holiday gift are discussed.

This article focuses on the impact of political scandals involving gift-giving on politicians in the United States. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether lobbyist Jack Abramoff tried to bribe members of Congress with campaign contributions, trips, meals and tickets to sporting events. Because of this investigation, politicians are reluctant to accept tickets and attend sporting events with lobbyists. The comments of Kyle Downey, a Republican Senate staffer, suggesting the politicians are aware of the perception that attending a football game may give to some. Corporations and trade associations pay several thousands of dollars for luxury boxes and for years have handed them over to lobbyists in an effort to seek influence with national politicians. Although there are still several loopholes for getting around the congressional gift limit value of $50, the mere act of being seen in a luxury box is scaring politicians.

Reports that a government investigation into excessive entertainment and gift-giving in the financial services industry is now focusing on Fidelity Investments. Investigative focus of the regulators from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), suggesting they are concerned with conflicts of interest and whether firms are acting in the best interest of their clients; Speculation about Fidelity Chairman and Chief Executive Edward C. Johnson with respect to accepting tickets from a Wall Street firm to attend a figure-skating competition at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City (Utah).

Focuses on new ethical standards in the financial services industry and the impact on gift giving to clients of financial services companies. Example of a client of investment bank Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group Inc., who went on a golfing junket and had to pay for his own airfare and hotel; Impact of increased scrutiny on gift-giving by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Association of Security Dealers (NASD) is having on investment banks looking to entertain clients; NASD rules regarding gifts; Link between the financial services industry and golf; Comments from Barry Goldsmith, enforcement chief of the NASD, regarding ethical standards in the securities industry.

Focuses on gift baskets, which are popular gifts in the holiday season. Increase in the number of offerings from Harry and David; Amount the average American adult spends yearly on food gifts, according to the Direct Marketing Association; Evaluation of several gift baskets with a focuses on which items in the basket are eaten and which are left alone; Impact of the Internet boom on the increased competition in the market.

The article presents questions and answers related to various subjects, namely, how can a teacher handle a female community college student who smells very bad in class, the best way to give a guest speaker a gift he/she would truly love and appreciate, and the reason why people stop to pick up a dime fallen from their pocket but do not pick up a dime seen in the street.

The article presents various foods that look like lumps of coal to use as gifts during the 2013 holiday season including Black Winter Truffles from earthy.com, black walnuts available at hammonsnutemporium.com, and fermented black garlic available at melissas.com.

The article asks readers to determine if they are bad at gift-giving and recommends purchasing 'treats,' which are gifts that the recipient would not normally purchase for themselves and are made more attractive because of their rarity.

The article provides answers to questions about perception of time, decision making techniques, and gift giving.

The article presents answers to several questions including those related to whether it is appropriate to take back a gift the recipient never uses, making a gift of wine that was bought at a steep discount, and whether the author believes in New Year's resolutions.

The article presents advice from Lee Coleman, managing director of gift-buying company Quintessentially Gifts in London, England, on how to select the right gift for a spouse.

The article presents advice on appropriate gifts for hosts and hostesses based on the duration of a guest's visit, with an emphasis on smaller presents such as fine jam, exotic olive oil, or quirky presents with charm.

The article offes tips from Young Yun, director of the Platinum Card Concierge Service for American Express, on how gift-buyers should choose their presents for business associates and bosses.

A calendar of wine events for the U.S. and Ontario in 2009 is presented which includes a Thanksgiving weekend event in New Jersey featuring 32 wineries, tasting and shopping event at City Winery sponsored by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, and a trail event focused on gift-giving hosted by the wineries at Niagara-on-the-Lake region in Ontario.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the experience of the author's wife about giving gifts during Christmas.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience with attempting to limit holiday gifts from family members to her son.

The author reflects on gift giving during the Christmas season.

The article presents several tips on giving gifts to co-workers.

This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of gift giving during Christmas.

The article states that gift-giving has transformed into a tyranny.

Presents a solution to the problem of what to get couples getting married who may already have the full complement of dishes and other gift items found in typical gift registries. Web sites offering services that allow gift-givers to subsidize part of the honeymoon or help toward the purchase of a big-ticket item; Other Web sites that offer services related to monetary and financial gifts, such as stocks; Number of charities at JustGive.org.