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| A reflective essay on generosity, end-of-year giving, faith traditions, and why passing gifts forward, especially across generations, matters in Canada |
This year, something unexpected and rather wonderful happened for this old Organic Granny.
My young adult granddaughter e-transferred money to me as a gift. After years of tucking birthday cheques into cards and slipping gift cards into Christmas envelopes, the direction of giving gently reversed. I found myself chuckling, touched, and more than a little proud.
Her gift wasn’t about the amount. It was a symbol of adulthood, agency, and the dawning realization that giving is not just something we receive from elders, but something we choose to practice ourselves.
I’ve decided to pass that gift along to charity. Not to dismiss it, but to extend it, and to quietly invite my granddaughter (and perhaps others) into a lifelong practice of thoughtful generosity.
Giving as a Shared Human Value
Across cultures, faith traditions, and philosophies, generosity is not treated as optional. It is understood as a practice that keeps communities whole.
- Pantheistic and Earth-centred traditions often frame giving as reciprocity: what we take from the world must be returned in care, stewardship, and restraint. To give is to stay in balance with life itself.
- Judaism teaches tzedakah, often translated as charity, but more accurately meaning justice. Giving is not merely kindness; it is a moral obligation to repair the world (tikkun olam).
- Christian traditions emphasize generosity as love in action. From the widow’s mite to the call to care for “the least of these,” giving is seen as a visible expression of faith, humility, and gratitude.
- Islam formalizes generosity through zakat, a required act of giving that purifies wealth, and sadaqah, voluntary charity offered freely. Wealth, in this view, is a trust, not an absolute possession.
- Sikhism teaches vand chhakna: earn honestly, share with others, and remember the divine. Giving is a habit in daily life, not reserved for special occasions.
- Hindu traditions speak of dāna, the practice of giving without expectation of return, as a means of spiritual growth and detachment from the ego.
- Buddhism places generosity (dāna) at the very beginning of the spiritual path. To give freely loosens the grip of craving and cultivates compassion
- Taoism teaches that you already have everything you need and an unlimited supply of the greatest presents to give to others: connection, kindness, empathy, assistance, your time, and a smile.
Across these traditions, the message is remarkably consistent: giving shapes the giver as much as it helps the receiver.
Why So Much Giving Happens at Year’s End
In many cultures, end-of-year giving coincides with religious festivals, seasonal reflection, and the natural human urge to take stock. We look back. We tally our blessings. We ponder what kind of people we are becoming.
In Canada, this instinct toward generosity is reinforced by public policy. The federal government encourages charitable giving through tax credits for donations, particularly at year’s end when people are already reviewing their finances.
This isn’t merely benevolence on the government’s part; it’s a practical partnership.
How Matching and Tax Incentives Benefit Everyone
When governments encourage giving through tax credits or matching programs, several things happen:
Charities receive more funding than governments could easily deliver alone, especially at the community level.
Citizens choose the causes they care about most, decentralizing decision-making.
Public dollars are leveraged, meaning each dollar of forgone tax revenue can unlock multiple dollars in charitable impact.
Social trust increases as people feel they are participants in solutions, not just taxpayers funding distant systems.
In effect, generosity becomes a quiet collaboration between individuals, communities, and public institutions.
Teaching the Next Generation-- Gently
I won’t make a speech to my granddaughter about what I’m doing with her gift. I may simply tell her that I passed it on and why. The best lessons about generosity are rarely lectures. They are patterns observed over time.
Giving money away, especially money that has been given as a gift, can feel countercultural in a world that urges us to accumulate, protect, and consume. But generosity, practiced regularly and thoughtfully, becomes a form of freedom. It reminds us that money is a tool, not a measure of worth.
And perhaps that is the real gift my granddaughter gave me this year: a moment to recognize that the circle is widening, that values are being carried forward, and that the practice of giving, like love, does not diminish when shared. It multiplies.
If you appreciated the above article, you might also derive value from reading other articles by Organic Granny, like Where Has Empathy Gone?, Older Women Guiding Younger Women, and Bank of Canada Trending... <-by Ed Zirkwitz, CPA.
🥤 Article and photos © 2025 Cynthia Zirkwitz | Organic Granny
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