Staring up at the night sky and seeing the stars twinkle and look down at you is a serene moment. For a moment, you feel like there is peace on earth and you let all of your stress float away. You want to hold on to that feeling forever. Some people take their attachment to stars to an even greater level. Some people decide to name their own personal star.
Overjoyed by naming their star, they decide to name one for a loved one. They believe that this will bring joy to them as well. They are wrong. Here are three reasons why naming a star as a gift is a bad idea:
1. It’s Not Official
The International Astronomical Union is tasked with the duty of naming planetary objects. Some stars have been given names but the irrelevant ones were just given coordinates, or a series of numbers and letters. When a company offers you a chance to name your own star, they keep the name in their private catalog. You receive a certificate in the mail and most likely a guide to find the star. The rotten part about it is that another company is giving away the same star to someone else. You may know it as the name you’ve given it but someone else has completely named it something else. If you name a star as a gift, you are basically recycling presents. In another way, you can see it as stealing someone’s gift and giving it to someone else. Either way, the gift is not officially yours to give.
2. There Are Better Options
You can symbolically adopt animals! Defenders of Wildlife gives you the option to adopt endangered species such as polar bears, sea otters, and dolphins. Although you don’t get to name your own personal animal, you get to help save animals in need. Adopting an animal seems like the more philanthropic present to give than naming a star as a gift.
3. You Can’t Instagram, Tweet, or Snapchat It
Realistically, you probably can. But no one would be able to pinpoint it and they probably wouldn’t care enough to try. You wouldn’t receive a like, a favorite, or a retweet. Naming a star is not an experience you can capture on social media and it is not tangible enough to hold it close for a photo op. If you can’t share it on social media, does it really exist?
If you don’t want to purchase a typical gift, naming a star is not your best option. Browse around for something more meaningful and special. Make it a gift that someone would be proud to post all over their Facebook page. Giving someone a star as a gift is basically giving them nothing. Don’t be that person.
