Irony is when events turn out the opposite of what is planned. In this story, newlyweds Della and Jim plan an amazing Christmas gift for each other. Both also make a big sacrifice to get the gift they think will bring joy to the other person.
Della sells her beautiful, beloved hair, that falls past her knees, to get money for Jim's gift. She uses the money to buy Jim an expensive watch chain for his beloved watch.
Jim sells his cherished watch to buy an expensive comb and brush set for Della's beautiful hair.
The irony is that both gifts are useless to the recipient. Both Jim and Della sold what made the gift precious: Della has little hair left to brush, and Jim has no watch left to attach his watch chain to.
Nevertheless, each one demonstrated love for the other, and this, O'Henry says, is the most important gift of all.
The irony regarding Jim's and Della's Christmas gifts to each other arises from the fact that neither individual can use their significant other's specific gift. Jim ends up selling his expensive watch in order to buy Della a pair of precious combs for her beautiful hair, while Della sells her long hair to purchase Jim a watch fob for his prize timepiece. Ironically, each person has sold their most prized possession in order to pay for an expensive gift that compliments their special personal belonging. Jim is the first to recognize the situational irony when he enters his home and sees that Della has cut all of her hair off. Jim stands with a "strange expression" on his face while Della attempts to explain that she sold her precious hair. After Della opens Jim's gift and discovers that he bought her an expensive set of combs, Della tells Jim that she wishes to see his watch and realizes that he no longer has it. Ironically, each person's gift is useless, but their love for each other is evident, and they appreciate each other's personal sacrifice.
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