many cases, re-giving. If you have hoarded gifts you received last

year with the intent of re-giving this year, you are not alone.

There is a growing population of folks who “regift.” They’ve gotten

something they either did not want, it did not fit, wasn’t their

accent color, or any other myriad number of reasons, and they have

decided to pass it on. They are regifters; those who practice

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, but the practice is in danger.

Many gift recipients have chosen to skip this practice and keep the

fault with the practice on its surface. You, as the recipient,

cannot use the item, but it is of value, so you have determined to

keep it until there is a suitable occasion on which to regift

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

coming out of the closet, there have evolved actual rules of

etiquette for regifting. They are few in number, but worth noting

to be able to avoid situations that might undermine peace and

harmony between family and friends. These standards of behavior may

seem obvious, but for them to exist, the suggested faux pas must

have happened. I hope you find yourself saying, “Oh my, do people

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. 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. If I am the recipient of a gift that has been used, I am

thinking, “Do they think me to be so dumb that I wouldn’t

and I can see times where it might not apply, but you should

re-wrap 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 for this

rule to exist. 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

regift the same gift to the person who originally gifted you with

it. If you are like me, and can’t remember receiving a gift much

less who gave it and for what occasion, this may take some

organization. If you are going to hoard the gift for a year, it

will serve you well to write a note on it reminding you who gave it

to you in the first place. Be very careful to not regift within the

family, especially when all of you will be together to unwrap the

gifts. I can see some awkward moments

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 “no-gifted.” Ha, I made

a new word. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Happy