The clandestine holiday tradition of re-gifting – outed by Seinfeld – may be experiencing a resurgence this season because of “these tough economic times.” I used to think it was a practice limited to office parties and teacher gifts, but apparently it’s widespread and gaining social acceptability – as long as you don’t get busted. Everyone’s doing it, and The New York Times gave readers a primer – a day late – on the etiquette of re-gifting and how to get away with it.
Champagne Is The New Fruitcake
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There are some gifts that I think it’s pretty much always been acceptable to re-gift, like wine. If someone doesn’t want a particular bottle of wine and wants to re-gift it to me, hey, I’m perfectly comfortable with that.
I re-gift to a re-gifting friend.
Seems right.
Usually I would find this distasteful, however if you get something but believe someone else would enjoy it more, that’s appropriate.
Though I suspect in most cases, you’re really just shoveling crap you don’t like to someone else.
I gave my daughter (a college student) a gift card to Olive Garden that my husband and I won in a staff talent show. We would never use it. She loves Olive Garden, and I told her that it was a re-gift.
Anyone have any ideas as to where we could donate our regiftable items? My mother seems to delight in getting us at least one age-inappropriate and space-consuming item each year. This year, the item in offense is a 3 foot high stuffed animal reindeer and a decorative ice skate with mistletoe in it (don’t know what she was thinking).
RaeVen, you can donate your items to HAAL (56 Dodd St in Bloomfield) for their semi-annual yard sales. They store items for the sales all year and it’s for a great cause – supporting their shelter.