27.12.10

The Ghost of Christmas Regifting

That does it! I refuse to celebrate Christmas ever again. Either that or I’m going to become a hermit.

The week after Christmas is the annual neighborhood “Regifting Party”. Basically a White Elephant party. A way to trade in (and up?) that chartreuse sweater from Great Aunt Erma.

Before I put my foot down a few years ago, the Regifting Party was fun because of all the extended-family gifts. Back then, the extended family of siblings-in-law, cousins, nieces, and nephews would exchange presents. The problem is that the exchanging of gifts was done out of obligation rather than desire. When people that you’re not close to give you gifts, they don’t always work out. Because how would our relations, who are scattered all over the country, know enough about us to buy something that really meant something to us? We rarely hear from them.

Now they get Christmas cards only. But the kids’ only surviving grandparent still sends a check in early December for me (usually) to buy something for the girls from her since she doesn’t “know what they need” as she says. I don’t mind doing it. But I imagine when she reads her thank you notes from the girls that she’s as surprised as they are to what she gave them.

This year after all the presents were opened and we sat around the living room amid hills of wrapping paper, one of the girls commented that the gifts this year really came from the heart. My gifts from Santa, Finola, and Deirdre all made me cry. (Which is why I won’t celebrate Christmas again. They’re getting too good at making me cry.)

This year, no one asked for anything. No one wrote out lists of Christmas wishes. Each of us in the family had to think about what made the others what we are. Our likes, our needs, our wants.

And they all hit the bull’s eye.

Which means that we have absolutely nothing to take to the Regifting Party. Anybody got any soap-on-a-rope?

13 comments:

  1. You're not serious about not celebrating Christmas again Wifie, I'm not familiar with your 're-gifting' custom,\but surely it can't have so seriously gone wrong that Christmas is just a memorable custom. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick? This is serious.

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  2. Surely you have some old crap in your closet that would serve your purpose. There aren't expiration dates on unwanted items.

    Thank you for not saying your Texasy stuff is gonna be your regift!!!

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  3. @Arlene, My comment about not celebrating Christmas was due to the fact that my husband and children have gotten so good at gift giving that their gifts always make me cry happy tears. As for regifting, a lot of Americans (Person A) will give someone (Person B) something that someone else (Person C) gave them (Person A). It's an unfortunate custom. But for some Americans, regifting is easier than returning the gift for an exchange or a refund.

    @Angie, No! My Texas stuff is MINE! At this point all that's left is the coffee and the stocking. Yummy!

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  4. How did you know I got a chartreuse sweater from Great Aunt Erma? I don't even know who she is!

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  5. As I get older, more and more I feel that kindness is the most valuable gift. I hope you have a serene week.

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  6. Wow, I know what regifting is (hello seinfeld) but I've never heard of a regifting 'party'! What a good idea! ...well, as long as everyone took it in stride and got a laugh, that is. I'll have to ask around the neighborhood for next year and see if anyone is up for it. Sooooooo, find anything really good out of that regifting?
    XOXOXO

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  7. What a beautiful post. You are truly blessed.

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  8. Greetings from Kentucky!
    Thanks for stopping by earlier and leaving your comment. I went back and added the video that Jenny D mentioned.
    To see some my other videos....go to YouTube site and type in search for caveydavey48.
    My favorites are: The Farm/ Ky's Elkhorn Creek/ Mid Oct 2010/ Frankfort in Snow.

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  9. Nice post. We bought much less this year and it had a similar effect.

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  10. I don't think that I got anything this year that I'd want to re-gift, but I do re-gift things like raffle prizes and my own shopping disasters, The last was a Nintendo thing that my daughter said would be good for me to keep my brain young ! cheeky madam, I couldn't abide the voice giving me instructions, so I gave it to her daughter, with explicit request that she makes sure her Mum has access to it as often as possible.

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  11. Hmm - the gifts at my Christmas seemed closer to the mark this year also - a trend? Your re-gifting party sounds great. What a fun idea! The gift I absolutely HATE (didn't get one this year!) is those cheese and sausage 'baskets'. It is so unthinking. I am betting that the Thank You cards for strange items must be one of Grandma's yearly highlights. Why don't you get something totally shocking, like "Trailer Trash Barbie" or a bottle of Southern Comfort? See what Grandma says...

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  12. ahahaha! No soap-on-a-rope, but a horrible smelling scented candle. You can have it!

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