The first business day after Christmas and up to the new year has become the second-busiest shopping period of the year. This is when gifts go back to the store to be exchanged or returned. Many gift recipients have chosen to skip this practice and keep the gift to regift on another occasion.

“Regifting” is a word new to our lexicon. It is so new that my word processor declares it misspelled. The word originated on an episode of “Seinfeld,” and anyone familiar with that sitcom should know there are social ramifications attached. The word may be new, but I am certain that the practice is not.

With this new term, and the practice coming out of the closet, there have evolved rules of etiquette for regifting. They are few in number, but worth knowing so as to avoid situations that might undermine peace and harmony between family and friends for years. These standards of behavior may seem obvious, but for them to exist, they must have happened.

First, and this one falls into the category of, “You must be kidding me,” is that one should never regift a used item. What is the message here? I love you so much that I wanted to make sure that it worked/smelled/fit right before I gave it to you? I don’t think so.

If I’m the recipient of a gift that I discover to have been used, I am thinking, “Do they think me to be so dumb that I wouldn’t notice?” On the other hand, the message might be, “I had to give you something, but I didn’t want to waste time, money and effort on you.” In either case, the behavior is rude.

The second rule is not so obvious, and I can see times where it might not apply, but you should rewrap the gift. I can’t imagine someone sticking the box or whatever back into torn paper, putting a little tape on it and thinking it’s good to go, but again, it must have happened.

With the use of decorative bags proliferating for every season and reason, there should be no excuse for giving a gift naked – that is, without wrappings. Then again, if you gave the gift while you are naked, I am sure that the recipient won’t notice the unwrapped gift.

Rule three is that you should never regift the same gift to the person who originally gave it to you. Who would have thought that? I add, don’t regift within the family especially when all of you will be together to unwrap the gifts. I can see some awkward moments arising.

The dynamics of gift giving declare to the person receiving the gift that, “I love you, I am thinking of you, and you are special to me.” If the gift is an obvious regift, the message becomes somewhat garbled, “I love you, I am thinking of you, and you are special to me, but only a little.” Then again, being regifted is better than being “nogifted.” Ha, I made a new word.

David Wilson Atwood is a local freelance writer whose human-interest columns offer a unique perspective. He may be e-mailed at david@starchasers.us.