To ReGift Or Not To ReGift?

From the first moment you unpeeled the penguin-laden wrapping paper, you knew you wouldn't keep it for long. Everyone gets (and gives) gifts that just aren't fully appreciated. So, what to do with those superfluous seasonal givings? Re-Gift!

The debate has raged on for years over whether or not 're-gifting' is appropriate holiday etiquette. It can be appropriate if you follow the three cardinal rules of gift recycling:

1. Give the gift to someone out of the social circle of the original recipient. How embarrassed would you be if Aunt Mildred saw your mother wearing the "adorable" kitten sweater she gave you for Christmas? It's best to ensure that the re-gifting recipient will never cross paths with the original gifter.

2. Only re-gift if you think it will truly be enjoyed by the new recipient. Is your office stacked with Sudoku puzzles? Give them to Taylor, who loves puzzles and numbers, but not to Ted, who loathes being idle and hates all things puzzling.

3. Don't disclose that you are in fact, re-gifting. It's still fairly taboo for someone to pass along an unwanted present. For this reason, it's best to keep quiet about the fact that the lovely gift they are about to receive was in your discard pile. If you feel truly guilty about the practice of present promotion, don't make the gift as big of a production as you would a normal holiday gift. Don't wrap the gift and simply say, "This was something I received but will not be able to make good use of. I hope you enjoy it."

Of course, if you still have apprehension over re-gifting, you can donate your unwanted yuletide offerings to charities, sell them on e-Bay or other online forums or, put them to good use!

Do you have any interesting re-gifting stories? Share them in our comments section!