Whether you call it Christmas, Chanukah, Yule, Saturnalia, or the Sardar Fair of Se’Var, the winter solstice is a time for festivities in almost every culture known to man- and with those festivities comes a tradition of gift-giving. Unfortunately, the Christmas traditions of the English-speaking world don’t really address in any detail the question of how to give presents to, or receive presents from, human property which itself can neither own presents to give, nor retain ownership of gifts received. How can a woman who is herself property and who can not possess anything of her own, give anything to another? How can one give a gift to such a person without compromising her propertyless condition?

It’s not as bad as all that. The point of the gift-giving traditions is not in questions of property, it is in questions of goodwill, intention, and the way those intentions are expressed through action. Who owns what isn’t the crux of the matter at all... especially since the master does of course own everything at the end of the day anyway.

I used this example once, discussing gift-giving online with a girl who was struggling with the issues of propertilessness and gifts: Imagine a slave in the home of a man who happens also to maintain a beautiful flowerbed. If she goes out one day and gathers a bouquet, arranges them in a vase, and places them where he will see and enjoy them as he comes home... are those flowers a gift? Of course not: the flowers were already his. But what is the effect? He comes home, he sees the flowers, he is pleased. It doesn’t matter that they were already his; it is the thought, and the action, that make a gift... not transfer of property. If the owner wishes, he may allot the his slave some funds with which she may buy him a surprise... in terms of property, this is no different from him buying it for himself, but in terms of emotion, it is a chance for her to show just how she does feel about him, how well she can guess what he most wants and needs, and that is after all what holiday gift-giving is about.

Even if he does not choose to allow his slave to choose something for him to buy for himself, the slave can certainly devote some of whatever free time she is allowed to creating something for him without spending his money on it... a poem, a dance (preferably of the feet-moving and not the finger-typing sort), a surprise evening of massage and sensuality, and any other expressions of devotion through action rather than purchase are all excellent ’gifts’.

And the converse, the giving of gifts to a slave? One cannot really give anything to a slave; one simply allocates one’s own belongings for her use. But... if I put flowers on my table, is it a gift to the table? Of course not; it’s a gift to me. But it is the table which is decorated, and if a table could have feelings about such matters, I’m sure it’d be quite pleased to be so ornamented. Likewise, for more sentient property: If I choose to ornament my slave with new clothing or jewelry, or entertain her with a toy or gewgaw... of course it’s all still mine. But it is the slave who is ornamented or entertained, and presumably happy with the expression of care and thoughtfulness with which the ornament was chosen... and once again, where the ownership of the ornament rests becomes irrelevant.

Besides, even if everything kaylee wears or uses is technically mine... ’my’ formal black holiday dress just doesn’t look as good on me as it does on her.

I wish you well, and happy holidays.

-Gabriel

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The days are growing shorter, the wind that blows the leaves begins to carry a wintery chill, the malls are becoming packed with merchandise and music that reminds us all of the upcoming holidays. This time of year can be stressful and challenging, as well as rewarding and joyful.

Each year, the holiday season provides us with new ways to challenge our energy: travelling, family visits, office parties, decorating, shopping, and an assortment of traditions. For the slave, this extra activity can also provide a number of ways to be creative in her service to her owner, and to ensure his holidays are enjoyable. When kaylee first considered writing this, she was going to address the sentimental side of the holidays; however, she realised that this lifestyle requires a level of practicality in day to day living.

Travel during the holidays: whether it is visiting friends or family or going on a much needed vacation, this is the busiest travel season of the year. With some planning in advance, a slave can help make this more economical and convenient for her owner. One might consider winterizing the cars, ensuring the cars are tuned up and well fueled in advance, making sure that emergency kits and extra blankets are located within the car, and stocking maps if the owner plans on making any road trips. Using the online airline services in advance or calling ahead to verify hotel and rental car bookings will help the trip run more smoothly.

Family visits: although this is a wonderful time to visit family, it can also be a bit unnerving if the visit changes a lot of the existing Master-slave rituals within your household. kaylee has visited her relatives with Master around the holidays, and while she may not have knelt by his feet at the dinner table or addressed him as Master, certain things can be adapted so as not to raise any eyebrows, with his permission of course. She makes sure he is served first, and does not eat without a cue or eye contact from Master. She attends to his luggage, laying out his clothing and personal items, as well as preparing the bags when the visit is over. She offers more to help out in the kitchen than she used to, and makes sure the men in the family are served first. She does not call him by his given name, but uses another term of address he finds suitable for her during that time. She defers to him, does not contradict or interrupt him, and basically tends to making sure she is pleasing to him. Her manner of dress is still what he prefers (albeit different than what she might wear at home) and her tone is respectful and soft. So while the ritual may change, the dynamic is still the same, she is slave, he is Master. Some of our family know what our relationship is; to others, it merely seems as a woman who strives to make the man happy.

Office parties and other social events: whether it is a formal corporate party or a reunion of family, lots of social events can quickly fill up the calender. kaylee found that she needed a daily calender to keep up with two people’s schedules. She takes care of RSVPing any invitations, finding the directions and confirming the times, ensuring she knows what Master wishes to wear so that it is clean and pressed in advance for him. A written email to Master works much easier for both of us than a verbal reminder. She also makes sure she has prepared any dishes he might need to bring to a party, or any gifts to the host that he might need to bring. That way everything is done in advance, and all he has to do is show up. From experience, she learned to keep some snack foods and spiced cider on hand in case of any unexpected visitors.

Decorating: while a girl may not be able to decorate with snowmen and reindeer in the front yard, she strives to find ways to make Master’s home more comfortable during the holidays. Baking fresh breads or cookies warms the house naturally, and makes it smell wonderful when he enters. Making sure the firewood is well stocked, the fireplace cleaned and ready for use and lighting spicey candles gives the house a sense of the holidays on the colder nights. Scented pinecones may decorate the guest areas without making it smell too feminine, and poinsettias offer a splash of color without being overly floral.

Shopping: the weather can be dreadful and the crowds at the mall grow worse as the holidays approach. This is easily the one area in which the holidays can prove to be a headache (and footache) for the shopper that procrastinates. kaylee discovered that determining what gifts need to be purchased, which needed to be shipped out in advance, and budgeting the list of presents made this to be much more convenient for her owner and his wallet. She tends to do all the comparison shopping in advance, watching sales, reading reviews of products, and making use of some of the online stores makes this much easier for a man who wants to walk in, pay for the gifts he approves, and leave without hassle. Offering to park the car when the lot is crowded and the weather is bad may help him look forward to this task. Homemade cookies can be a personal touch, and gift wrapping the presents can easily be done while at his feet. Cards can be emailed out or addressed in advance, leaving all the shopping done and more time to actually enjoy the season instead of rushing around at the last minute.

Finally: take time to relax. Share the season with your families, create new memories and dreams for the future as we wind down on the year 2000.

For kaylee, the most difficult part of the holidays was not being able to buy anything for her loved ones to show how much she appreciates having their presence in her life. This feeling of melancholy was particularly hard concerning her owner, who has given her the opportunity to serve him and she ached to give him something back that showed her emotions. As a slave, she owns nothing, so what could she give that he could not command her to give otherwise? She felt shame for not having a gift to give him last year, so she wrote him to express how she feels. http://www.gor-on-earth.com/christmas.htm

Her gifts will be humbly homemade this year, and given in love. And isn’t that what the holidays are about, under all the glitter and parties?

-kaylee{G}

Gabriel and kaylee write a monthly column about issues pertaining to the lifestyles of Goreans on Earth. Questions, comments, and suggestions or requests for topics can be addressed to Gabriel@gor-on-earth.com