free gift=selfless gift?

The reading spoke about groups that gave gifts in a formal and specific way. Our culture has similar gift giving protocol for special events like birthdays, holidays and weddings. And then we also have other kinds of gifts, ones given spontaneously or for a singular instance. Such as, "I saw this, thought of you, and had to get it for you" or washing the your roommate's dishes for them. I can't help but feel most societies, past and present, have these different categories for gifts. 

Is there such thing as a free gift? I think that depends on how you classify 'free'. If your opinion is that a free gift can only be given selflessly, then maybe you'd say there isn't such a thing as a free gift. However, I think gifts should involve exchanges. A gift-giver might desire something abstract or intangible in return, like satisfaction in yourself or love from the person, but that's only natural. Anonymous gifts can be given with no expectation for reciprocation.  They're meant to evoke nice feelings. A gift that's given with no feeling involved or expected, doesn't sound like a very nice gift to me. 

Not every gift is 'free' or coarse, nor should they be. When a child receives presents on their birthday, it's polite to send thank you cards. And if your close friends gets you a christmas present, why don't they deserve something in return? In these cases it's society and culture that dictates the proper or polite behavior.