I have a confession: I almost didn’t buy any Christmas presents this year.
Don’t get me wrong, my Sikh ass loves this glitzy Christian holiday so I gave people gifts, and good ones too. I gave my sister a pair of cute earrings, my childhood friend a dope scented candle, and my friend’s mom’s boyfriend a copy of a photo book. But I didn’t actually buy any of those things. I picked them up again.
Re-donation is generally considered distasteful. A second-hand gift is believed to mean less than a new gift, and if a gift is not bought new, it should not be given much thought. But I’m here to say it’s dumb. We give gifts to bring joy to our loved ones, not to show off our spending options (usually at least). And there is no reason why a previously loved thing cannot make someone happy and at the same time lighten the burden Which overproduction on the planet.
It’s not like I passed on worthless gifts. The earrings I got from my homegirl last year, and I loved them so I kept them, but I don’t have and probably never will. The scented candle was also given to me, but I don’t like the powdery scent. And the photo book was mine, and I loved it, but I don’t need it anymore, so I’m passing it on to someone else who can appreciate it.
Passing on unwanted or loved gifts is also a more sustainable option. At the very least, it’s a lot better than keeping unnecessary junk in our apartments until we finally decide to split up and throw it in the trash, send it to a landfill or a waste incinerator where it’s destined to contribute to toxic and pollution from global warming.
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Re-gifting – or any other personal choice regarding Christmas gifts – will not fundamentally address the political problems that have led to our global crises of waste and overproduction. In our global economy, stuff – clothes, candles, whatever – is made not to meet a particular need, but to make the greatest profit, and passing on a few stray products won’t change that whole system. The big problem isn’t the presents, it’s the profit motive, honey.
But given the choice, I’d rather not throw something away when I know someone else would. I also donate my gently used items, but it’s also nice to make someone you like smile.
For what it’s worth, I’m not only cool with giving previously presented presents, but also receiving them. Some of the best gifts I’ve ever received – jewelry, pottery, a table, a guitar pedal – were things the giver had already used.
Most people who celebrate Christmas have opened their presents by now. But you can keep the holiday spirit going by passing on things. Give away that mug from your mom that you don’t need because your closet is too cluttered, or that sweater that doesn’t suit you. Damn, give that stuff away is doing suits you too, once you’re done with it. Not be all Marie Kondo, but are you really going to read that book again, or are you going to keep wearing that dress in the back of your closet that makes you sick? Give it to a friend who you know will love, and who may also be cool enough to let you borrow it for a night when we can all go out safely in groups again. You free up some space in your house, and you save some space in the garbage flow. And you could make someone feel good too.