Some links may be affiliate links. We get money if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links on our site.
Christmas All The Time is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
National Regifting Day
National Regifting Day is held each year on the Thursday before Christmas since its declaration by the Governor of Colorado in 2008.
What Is Regifting?
Sometimes you get a present that you just can’t see yourself wearing or making use of. This often happens with Secret Santa exchanges when the recipient is actually randomly determined at the time of the Christmas party. Trying to get a one-size-fits-all gift that can be useful to anybody is a noble effort that sometimes falls flat.
When that happens, there’s no harm in regifting. The random present you received may be virtually useless to you, but it might be absolutely perfect for a friend or family member. This is a win-win proposition. You don’t have to spend money on a present and the recipient gets a gift that is absolutely perfect for them.
What’s not a win-win scenario is if you regift a present that the original gift-giver meant as a personal statement and they find out you gave it away.
From “The Label Maker“
The Rules
As you can tell from the Seinfeld excerpt above, regifting can lead to hurt feelings if handled badly. Take a look at these rules for regifting to keep the holidays merry and bright.
You can find more suggestions here, here and here on regifting etiquette. Long story made short: don’t pass on things that have been personalized, monogrammed, autographed or otherwise designated as intentionally personal.
Even Santa Regifts When Necessary
Eventually, Rudolph tells Santa about the misfit toys and they are picked up for distribution on the fateful Christmas when his red nose saves the day.
People might well wonder who could love a Charlie-in-The-Box or a set of really ugly iced tea glasses, but with a bit of consideration, any gift can find the appropriate home. Whether it cost you out of pocket from the store or a bit of thought after an office party, family Pollyanna or club-meeting Secret Santa, a gift that is kindly intended and thoughtfully delivered is never inappropriate.
If you get an absolute clunker of a gift and you can’t think of anyone you know who would actually like to receive it, you can always donate it to a thrift store so that they can profit by reselling it. As with the rules for regifting, try not to drop it off at a thrift store where the gift-giver is likely to shop. Going the extra mile (or fifty) really helps in this scenario.