If you know me, you know that my go-to relaxing activity is scrolling through Instagram reels. Recently, as the Christmas spirit has quickened its approach, several new trends have been on the rise. The one I specifically have in mind is the “What I Would Want for Christmas if I Didn’t Already Have It” trend, where somebody compiles a list of items they already own (usually items they were previously gifted) and shares with the audience what it is and why they love it so much.
I think this trend is absolutely wonderful. I find so much joy watching these videos, knowing that they are being made with the hopes of helping others. To me, there is significant symbolism in people attempting to share their wealth, so to speak, during a holiday that represents hope and gratitude. Christmas is ultimately a sacred holiday that has grown to have secular meaning as well. When religion starts to fuse with culture and grow outside of itself, a space is opened for new ways of celebration along with the continuation of age-old traditions. These years of fusion are ultimately what lead to a silly trend becoming another way to spread Christmas cheer.
Another trend to mention is themed “gift-giving guides.” The previously mentioned trend could be considered a subset of this one. Gift-giving guide videos typically feature a list of items to get someone who has a certain aesthetic or lifestyle. Some of my favorite examples I’ve seen are a “cool girl gift-giving guide” and a “what to get your friend who has everything” guide. These gift-giving videos are usually filled with niche and unique gifts in differing price ranges that are tailored to specific kinds of people. Personally, I have found several things to add to my list and to give others from these sorts of videos, proving they are not only fun to watch but also helpful!
The last popular trend that starts up this time of year is simply just people doing hauls of what they received. These videos are more common as they have been around for longer. At this point, I’d say Christmas hauls are a sort of online tradition. Hauls take many forms; they are most popular on platforms such as TikTok due to their rapid-fire pace, but more vlog-style hauls are also common on YouTube.
All-in-all, Christmas is a time for sharing and rejoicing. Thanks to the internet, it is easier than ever for people to share their joy with one another and find new gifts to give and receive. I hope all of these trends continue on for many years to come and that hopefully new ones join them.
