difference between gift and present

• We usually say "Christmas presents."

         In most cases, they are interchangeable, but not always.

         For example, if you are really good at languages, I could say that you have a gift for
         languages. "Presents" would not work in that sentence.    
         Thinking about it in a way I've never done before, I guess a "present" is something you      
         present to someone, whereas a gift is something you give to them in any way. We say  
         that  you have a gift for languages because God gave you that ability, but He did not wrap  
         it up in something and present it to you. 

•  In most contexts, these two words can be used interchangeably.
  Example:
  birthday gift / birthday present
  wedding gift / wedding present
  Thanksgiving gift / Thanksgiving present
  Christmas gift / Christmas present
  
  But there are subtle(nariin) differences in usage between the two:
  'Gift' is something that you give to someone out of kindness or thought; relatively used in the sense of a ‘donation'.
  'Present' is something that you give out of obligation; relatively used in the sense of a ‘reward’.
  
  There are also some particular uses of the word "gift" which we normally do not use interchangeably with "present".
  Below are some examples that I can think of right now:
  - used with the inborn talent or skill that one has, like 'gift of healing', (we do not use 'present of healing')
  - as a modifier, in 'gift wrapping' or 'gift wrapped' (not 'present wrapping')
  - when talking in a formal way about something freely given, like "gifts to charity" (not "presents to charity")
  -in the phrase "God's gift to women" (not 'God's present to women')
  - 'free gift'  (not 'free present')
  - 'gift of friendship' (not 'present of friendship')
  - 'gift of love' (not 'present of love')