by Bethany Clayton

Created on: November 30, 2008

It's a holiday tradition perhaps as old as the insincere gustatory gusto upon annual receipt of a fruitcake, or the mandatory replacement of three non-functional strands of multicolored lights that were most certainly working when packed away last winter. And, like these staid events, this tradition is seen as a Murphy's nuisance rather than parcel to the season.

If you can remember where you stowed that unopened box of fragrance from Aunt Jo, or the hat and mittens set with the tags still attached, you may guess this unsung tradition: Regifting.

Fossil fuels are in short supply. Landfills have become lucrative real estate. Victory gardens and recycled and renewable goods are no longer for the long-haired, barefoot few. What better way to embrace green practices in this season of green and red (and green) than to repurpose unwanted gifts?

A few rules apply to keep regifting from gaffing.

First, never regift something that is partially used. In fact, the best regifts have the tags still attached and the blister pack intact. If you have a complete boxed set of themed coffee mugs, or a cowl neck and its accompanying store tag, sans price - give away! However, if you ate the miniature cheese spread with its tiny knife but didn't care for the summer sausage in last year's winter snack pack, save your scotch tape. Rather than foist your leftovers on someone who thought you were better friends than that, slice up that strangely unexpired meat product for guests to politely decline until the martinis kick in at your first holiday gathering.

Second, try to choose a more appropriate recipient for the gift this time around. Find it a forever home. That snowman draft stopper may not go with your decor, but you may have a cousin who collects snowmen, or a friend who is remodeling a breezy older home. In short, put more thought into the giving than whoever gave the whatsit to you did.

Finally, do not return to sender. This may seem like a no-brainer, but how many times have you gotten a lackluster gift and immediately forgotten who gave it to you. It happens. Be sure to keep track of all booty for future reference. Circulating a gag gift with friends can be fun, but the last thing you want is to present your grandma a lovely lavender tissue box cover that she crocheted.

Hold onto your fancy gloves, Miss Manners - it is OK to regift. So comb through your closets for all of those things you thought you might use this last year. Put some thought into who you know that might really put those things to work, and bundle them up in your saved gift bags that still have a bit of tread left on them.

After all, it's the least you can do for the planet.

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