The social protocol of 'regifting'

CONROE, Texas – ‘Regifting,’ a social faux pas or savvy recycling? The term was first coined by comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, a decade ago, and has become as much a holiday tradition as fruitcake, which incidentally, is the #1 recycled item annually.

So prevalent is this practice, the third Thursday in December is now being recognized as National Regifting Day. By this time in the month the office party gift exchange has typically taken place and allows enough days prior to Christmas to ‘regift’ it to someone.

“Miss Conduct,” a weekly column written for The Boston Globe Magazine by Robin Abraham, who has a PhD in psychology, commented on the practice of ‘regifting.’

“I’m fine with this as long as the item is something the recipient can use, and the packaging doesn’t look as though it’s been unwrapped,” said Abraham on CNN Headline News.

Sixty percent of people think regifting has become more acceptable because it’s the environmentally right thing to do, and it saves on holiday expenses. How people perceive this practice could correlate with people’s personal habits. Ardent recyclers might be more inclined to re-gift, than someone who doesn’t. Afterall, it doesn’t make sense for it to land in a landfill, does it?

The proper protocol for regifting…

- Only re-gift new items that have never been used.

- Rewrap if the gift packaging doesn’t appear pristine.

- And follow Abraham’s rule that the gift be something the person can truly use.

Partially used gift cards and products are off-limits, and by all means, make sure you don’t re-gift an item to the person you originally received it from. One of the best ways to dispose of a gift you really can’t use, is to donate it to a non-profit organization who will forward to someone who truly needs it.