We've all been there. As a girl, I received countless lotions and pairs of holiday socks over the years, and here's the thing: one girl only needs so much of it. I appreciate the gifts, but at some point enough is enough.
This is where re-gifting comes into play.
A younger me would have never considered re-gifting as an option. I was (and still am) a firm believer that gifts should be something that makes a person think of you. If that item just happens to be holiday socks, then by golly I'm keeping them. However, I am a college student now and gifting has changed. Often people pick one item they think you'll like and pair it with socks and lotion to make it look like they've given you more than what they initially planned. So not all the gifts are picked out just for me.
Also, in college, people that you don't anticipate end up giving you a gift around Christmas time and you look pretty awkward if you have nothing to reciprocate with. It happens more often than you think and instead of running to the store and picking up brand new it might be a wise move to just re-gift what you already have. Especially if you know it's something you will not use anyway.
As with everything, if you must re-gift, there are certain rules that you must be aware of.
First, you cannot re-gift with someone who will come in contact with the original gifter. You never want someone to think that you did not like the gesture, you're just trying to be honest about what you will use and won't use.
Secondly, you need to consider if the person you're re-gifting from would be really upset if they knew you gave the gift away. If they will, maybe you should wear the socks once or twice and embrace the gift. It is Christmas after all.
Third, make sure that the person you're gifting to will actually like it. It's pretty awful if there's a pair of socks floating around that no one actually wants.
Overall, re-gifting can be OK if done the right way. Just be aware of the feeling of others and be grateful for the gesture of love people put forward when they are gifting you.
