A cheapskates guide to Christmas: the never ending cycle of regifting

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
Story by Spc. Angel Turner

Date: 12.17.2012
Posted: 12.18.2012 10:27
News ID: 99480

FORT HOOD, Texas— This year Dec. 20 is National Regifting Day. National Regifting Day always falls on the third Thursday of December.

According to an unscientific research conducted by Regiftable.com, this Thursday happens to have the most popularity amongst offices for having their holiday parties, a place where regifting is sometimes found.

Although office parties harbor known and unknown regifters, families and friends also fall in the circle and circulating their gifts.
Whether to save money, for the sake of convenience or simply because they did not want it, people have different reasons for regifting items.

For Staff Sgt. Hilda Cabrera, a medical supply specialist assigned to Company C, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, the choice to regift came after she received something she already had.
She knew once she opened her gift on Christmas it would soon become someone else’s.

“When I opened the present, I saw it was something that I didn’t like so I was a little disappointed,” stated Cabrera, a native of Miami. “I received a crock pot and I already had one that was a lot nicer. I acted excited and said ‘O wow! Thank you very much.’ I kept it neatly in the box and waited for an opportunity to give it away.”

Cabrera ended up giving the crock pot to a friend for a housewarming gift but she said she made sure they did not have that item before giving it to them.

Sometimes giving a circulated gift has a more special meaning to both the giver and receiver.

Spc. Dominic Vaughn’s reason for regifting held sentimental value from generation’s prior.

When Vaughn, an infantryman assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div., was twelve his grandfather gave him a bear.

“It was a little brown bear with a white collared shirt and overalls with red and black on it. The bear was something passed down from his grandfather and grandfather’s father. He told me, ‘when you pass it down, let the person know it has been passed down through the family and it has protected the owner.’”

Vaughn said when he decided to finally give the bear away it was a bittersweet moment to part with it.

Vaughn gave the bear to an orphan he met in high school. “She was alone and always distraught, said the native of Fort Worth, Texas.

“I told her, ‘tomorrow before we go on Christmas break I am going to give you a gift.’ The next day I gave her the bear and told her the history of it and she broke down in tears. She told me, ‘I will cherish the gift for the rest of my life and if I have any kids I will pass it down to them. I will keep this tradition going.’”

For Vaughn, regifting became a tradition but for others, regifting can end with one person or become a never ending cycle of wrapping and rewrapping.