Being an artist gives us a great advantage when it comes to holiday season. We can give the gift of painting. While I don't recommend you give your painting to everyone, it is undoubtedly that an original painting is a very personal and valuable gift. It is important to know which painting you should be giving though. A painting that you put in hours of work can be precious to you but completely meaningless for the person you're giving to. Painting is a form of visual communication. Therefore if a person receives a painting that's irrelevant to them, it'll be like sending the wrong message. The person will be confused and not be able to acknowledge the value of your painting.
Treat the person who's going to receive your painting as your client. You are painting for them, and the painting should be meaningful for them! You might paint something you really like, but the person who receives the painting may not sure your passion. Here are a few things to think about:

What genre?
Landscape? portrait? still life? or something else? You can try to find out by simply ask them, or observe the type of artworks on their wall.
Subject matter
If the person likes landscape, where? If the person likes portrait, who? If the person likes still life, what? If the person is very reserved, he/she may not wants a portrait of him/her. Instead, the person may prefers his/her kid, spouse, or a favorite celebrity. A majestic scenery of Paris might not be as meaningful to a person than his/her favorite local cafe.
Story
Casually interview the person. There is always a story behind their favorite place or person. The more you know, the better. You probably won't be able to paint everything. But it will help you to create the painting. If a person's favorite location is a street, find out what does he/she remember about the place, time of the day? sound? weather? Those are all very important to create a painting that matters for them

People who received my paintings are all very happy, because I did my homework. The ability to paint an original painting and give it to someone is extremely powerful. You want to make the most out of it! I wish you Merry Christmas and a great Holiday!