Experience gifts make holiday giving more memorable and meaningful

A recipe card holding a cooking-class confirmation gives someone something to open now and something to look forward to later. Experience gifts start before the event, with anticipation, and keep going after, as a memory you can return to long after the wrapping paper is gone.

Why experience gifts hit differently

Gift-giving activates reward pathways tied to pleasure, social connection, and trust, especially when the recipient is someone close to you. A Journal of Consumer Research study found that gifts that reflect the giver can increase closeness, and a Journal of Business Research study based on 35 in-depth interviews found that the most cherished gifts are often unforgettable, life-changing experiences.

Experience-based gifts such as taking a class together help couples create memories, practice new skills, see different perspectives, and build a shared identity. Related research on experiential gifts found that they strengthen relationships more than material gifts, and other work has shown that experiential gifts are read as more autonomy-supportive and can lead to greater gratitude.

Giving in America has long involved time, money, and moral concern, not just physical goods, and Smithsonian Magazine and History.com both treat memberships and activity-style presents as part of the holiday gift playbook. Research on experiential purchases has also mapped five dimensions of what makes them memorable.

How to match the experience to the person

For the foodie friend or sibling who would rather learn a new knife skill than unwrap another candle, a cooking class is the easy win. Sur La Table sells interactive class gift certificates, including date-night classes at $99, online classes at $39, and other sessions like Artisan Bread at $89 and Italian Trattoria at $99. If you want the gift to feel fuller on Christmas morning, tuck the confirmation into a recipe card and add a small thing they will use later, like flaky salt or a wooden spoon.

For the parent, in-law, or art lover who already has enough decorative objects, a museum membership feels generous in a way another sweater never will. The Met’s Individual gift membership is $120 per year and includes free admission for one member and one guest, member preview days, weekend member mornings, priority access to exhibitions, and 15% off at the Met Store, with a 30% initial-order discount when purchased at the store. Wrap it with a postcard from the museum or a small art book so there is something tangible to open.

For the live-entertainment fan, flexibility matters more than surprise. Ticketmaster gift cards are available in any amount from $25 to $1,000 and can be used toward music, comedy, theater, sports, festivals, parking, VIP packages, and more across the U.S. and Canada. This is the right move for the sibling who picks shows months ahead, or the friend whose calendar fills up fast: you are not choosing the night for them, just funding the one they already want across music, comedy, theater, sports, festivals, parking, or VIP packages.

For the partner, best friend, or exhausted parent who needs actual downtime, give a reset they can schedule later. Marriott gift cards run from $25 to $2,000 and can be used for stays, dining, spa services, and golf at participating locations, while The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage lists spa services starting at $195, including 50-minute treatments like body nourished glow and stress relief massage. If you want this to feel holiday-ready instead of abstract, slip the card into a luggage tag, a robe belt, or a mini envelope with a candle and hand cream.

How to make an intangible gift feel substantial

Package the promise, not just the purchase. A printed confirmation, a note explaining why you chose that particular experience, and one small physical item tied to the outing will make the gift feel intentional instead of improvised. For a class, use a recipe card; for a concert, use earplugs or a playlist note; for a museum membership, use a postcard or a tiny print; for a getaway, use a luggage tag or travel-size essentials.

Deloitte’s 2024 holiday survey projected spending on experiences to rise 16%, and its 2025 survey found consumers planned to spend an average of $1,595, down 10% year over year, with 77% expecting higher prices on holiday items. McKinsey identifies the experience economy as one of four trends reshaping retail, and Eventbrite found 74% of Millennials and Gen Z are choosing memorable experiences over traditional gift exchanges this holiday season.