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s/o gift-giving families
Nooner's comment got me to thinking -- was your family a gift-giving family growing up?
I can honestly say my family was -- my parents were always generous whenever Christmas and our birthdays rolled around, and even still continue with the kindness regardless of how may times we tell them to chill out. Even still, on say Valentine's Day or Easter, my mother will still send us over some chocolates.
Chris' family, on the other hand, was not... they did up Christmas, but I don't think they really celebrated birthdays and such with more than a card, so when we started dating and he saw how celebrated everything was on my side, it struck him as odd. 5 years later, I think it still does...
As for Samma? She is already spoiled, and I will continue to dote on her during the holiday season for as long as I can afford it. 
Re: s/o gift-giving families
We're big gift givers too. Especially with kids- if you're still in HS or younger, you rake it in in our family on holidays/ birthdays. My parents buy the big present on your list plus whatever else they think you should have that year.
H's family is really into Christmas, but you receive a lot of "essentials"- we get a hat/ scarf/ gloves from his mom every year. H also gets underwear and tshirts, even as a grown up. However, you also receive a lot of non-essentials, usually matching some theme.
We also get cards from both sets of parents on major holidays and our anniversary. They will rarely but sometimes come with gifts. For our first anniversary my mom sent me jewelry and sent H books. For last St. Patricks Day his parents sent us a Chili's gc- it is really random.
Both sets of parents still send each of us presents on our respective birthdays.
When we have kids it is going to be out of control. If the way my mom spoils my cousins' girls is any indication, they'll be getting mail weekly.
Stand up for something you believe in.
As kids it was a little different, I know we got several gifts and were hardly wanting for anything. As we got older, I think we just grew out of that a little. My mom and dad have always gotten ONE gift for each other, and never really spent a lot. It was usually something more sentimental than anything. Same with birthdays. And as we got older, it just kind of morphed into something similar - we get one of two bigger things from each of our parents, or silly sentimental things my mom will sign from the dog or something. We get cards for every holiday (my mom just sent us a Thanksgiving card).
Scott's family was always kind of the same way, never ones for over the top.
I guess since we both kind of grew up that way, it's hard for me to understand anything else. I'd rather put that money away for vacation or home improvements or big purchases like a new bedroom set or something.
Don't get me wrong, both of our parents are very generous - they usually spend more than we want them too, or get something that illicits a "oh my gosh, you didn't have to do that!" response, but it's more one of two gifts still. I think the sheer number of gifts y'all get for your H is more surprising than the amount spent. We're not like 8 years old and need to count our presents anymore... somehow $200 spent on one large ticket item (one he probably wouldn't buy for himself) is easier for me to wrap my head around that $200 worht of little gifts.
My family was until my parents split up. That's when it kind of died down. Now we only buy for the children.
Guy's mom is big into gift giving and always gets us something really expensive (last year it was a new TV).
My family always has been. We didn't have a lot of money growing up but my parents put some aside during the year to get the things we really wanted. We never had a huge number of gifts but it was always a few things we had mentioned over and over.
Now they have a set amount for each of us. So for instance I know my brother is getting an xbox 360. But thats his only gift, so I will most likely be getting a few more things than he does.
Jon's parents have been divorced since he was 5 so I don't know anything other than his mom gives us gift cards. While it is nice, she gives them to places we don't usually go, so he finally asked her to just spend the same amount and get a gift card to just once place that we will actually use it.
Growing up I was an only child and only grandchild and my grandparents lived with us so Christmas morning was out of control. The gifts would fill the entire living room. But I think with kids its easy to make it look like a lot without spending a ton of money. Now that I am an adult family is still generous but the amount has decreased because the cost of the items we want has increased. My mom still give me at least one big ticket item every year and then a few little things.
My family is still into gift giving, my mom still gives gifts for almost every holiday. She even gave me a mothers day gift.
H's family on the other hand didn't really do gifts. He was raised by his dad and he would just give him money every year and still does. The only ppl that would give him gifts to open were his grandparents.
Our first Christmas together he was in shock at how many gifts we give to our immediate family.
Christmas wise, yes. We're big gift giving families, especially with out immediate families. I know others that do a Secret Santa with their families, but we buy for everyone. Then, I have one aunt that we buy for and Doug has an aunt we typically buy for as well.
As far as birthdays, it's a much smaller scale, but we do typically celebrate and exchange birthday gifts for my family. We don't buy birthday gifts for Doug's family but there's usually a family dinner and cake at some point. We've discussed telling my family after the new year (before our birthdays roll around) that we'd like to no longer exchange birthday gifts because it's just not in our budget.
Doug and I usually host something for Mother's Day (brunch) and Father's Day (cookout) . And get something small for the parents for that. We also host Easter - but we don't really do the Easter basket deal or anything of that nature.
As far as little holidays like Valentine's Day - no gifts.
When we have kids - I'm going to suggest that everyone just put their money towards spoiling the kids for Christmas and no longer exchange gifts with the masses.