In This Article
Re-gifting. The practice of giving a previously received gift onward to a different recipient. Modern etiquette does not prohibit the practice but holds three specific rules: the gift must be unused, in original condition, and not associated with the original giver in any way the new recipient might encounter.
Where the term comes from
Re-gifting as a discrete practice has always existed informally; the term entered American mainstream vocabulary through a 1995 Seinfeld episode (the deluxe gift basket episode), which both named the practice and coded it as faintly transgressive. Subsequent etiquette writing has substantially normalized the practice, with Emily Post Institute and Real Simple publishing the most-cited modern frameworks for when re-gifting is appropriate.
How it shows up in real life
A coworker is given a high-end candle as a holiday gift by another coworker. The candle is in a fragrance she does not like. She knows that her sister, in another state, would love this exact fragrance. The candle is unused, the box is intact, and the original giver has no relationship with the sister and will never know the gift was passed on. She re-gifts the candle to her sister at a March birthday. Every condition for permissible re-gifting is met.
Common misuses
The most common error is re-gifting within the same social circle, where the original giver and the new recipient might compare notes. The second is re-gifting an item that has been opened, used, or has the original gift card still in it. The third is re-gifting in a way that makes the giver look as if no thought was invested; even a re-gift should be presented with consideration for the new recipient, not as an opportunistic clear-out.
