Gift giving

Gift giving is a social interaction included in The Sims, The Sims 2: Seasons, The Sims 3: Generations, The Sims 3: Seasons and The Sims 4: Seasons.

The Sims
In The Sims, Sims with a good relationship with another Sim can purchase a gift for them as a positive social interaction. The Sim will purchase a gift box on the spot for §15 and then present it to the recipient. The gift box will not actually contain anything, and the player cannot choose to gift any specific object to the Sim.

Gift giving was expanded on in The Sims: Hot Date. In order to give a gift from Hot Date onwards, a Sim must have an object in their inventory that can be given to another Sim, such as a diamond ring or flowers. The recipient will either accept the gift, boosting the relationship, or smash it, causing a large drop in the relationship, and destroying the item.

The Sims 2: Seasons
The Sims 2: Seasons reintroduces this feature, but allows Sims to gift almost every object in the game, so long as the object in question appears in their inventories. The only known item that cannot be given as a gift is a gravestone. The recipient will accept or reject the gift based on the value of the item, and their relationship with the gift giver. Sims with lower relationship will only accept high-value gifts, while extremely high relationship scores will guarantee that even the most worthless object will be happily received. Sims are more likely to want to give a gift during winter.

The Sims 3
The feature of giving gifts is reintroduced in The Sims 3: Generations. This involves giving gifts from the Sim or family's inventory. Sims are more likely to accept if they have a high relationship. The response of the Sim receiving the gift will always be positive, regardless of the value of the item. Sims can also give flowers as a romantic interaction for §40. Sims can purchase the flowers from the grocery or directly from the interaction, though the grocery might give discounts which will cut down the price.

In The Sims 3: Seasons, Sims can also receive gifts during a gift giving party. A gift pile will automatically be placed at the start of the party (if there is space), and guests will add gift boxes to it as they arrive. The hosts can then call everyone together to receive a gift from the pile.

The Sims 4: Seasons
Gift giving is reintroduced in The Sims 4: Seasons. Sims can gift any item from their inventory or just Simoleons. The receiving Sim may reject the gift depending on its quality, their relationship with the gifting Sim, and the type of gift giving interaction used. Sims can give either a friendly gift, a funny gift, a romantic gift or a mean gift. Gifts can also be received from gift piles that are purchasable in build mode.

Any holiday with Father Winter as a tradition will have him show up at around 8 P.M. to hand out gifts to every non-NPC Sim on a lot. Sims deemed to be on his "naughty list" will receive a lump of coal or a Future Cube instead of a normal gift. He will also add gifts to certain holiday trees and gift piles, and he can be directly asked for a gift.