During the holiday season, one custom that is shared across many religious and cultural traditions ranging from Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa is the act of giving to others.

For instance, we often hear the phrase that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35) quoted a lot during this time of year. Although holiday gift giving has often become associated with shopping aggravations and as a key indicator of the economy's general state of health, there is considerable evidence in support of this frequently-cited biblical passage.

For example, research by social psychologist Liz Dunn and her colleagues appearing in the journal Science shows that people's sense of happiness is greater when they spend relatively more on others than on themselves. In one survey of over 600 U.S. citizens, Dunn and colleagues found that spending money on others predicted greater happiness whereas spending money on oneself did not, and this pattern was found across all income levels. In other words, even those with little money reported greater happiness when their proportion of spending on others, relative to the self, was greater.

• Makes:            12 servings
• Serving Size:  4 meatballs each
• Yields:            12 appetizer servings
• Prep:              20 minutes
• Stand:            10 minutes
• Cook:             12 minutes

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 slices white or whole-wheat bread, torn
• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 cup apple juice or pear nectar
• 1/4 reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 green onions, chopped

For the recipe