I have a confession: I hardly bought Christmas presents this year.
Don’t get me wrong, my Sikh ass loves this shiny Christian holiday, so I gave people gifts, and very good ones. I gave my sister some cute earrings, my childhood friend a scented candle and my boyfriend’s mom’s boyfriend a copy of a photo book. But I didn’t actually buy any of those things. I registered them.
Gift giving is widely considered unpleasant. It is assumed that a second-hand gift means less than a new one and that, if a gift is not purchased recently, it will not be necessary to consider deeply to choose it. But I’m here to say that this is stupid. We give gifts to cheer our loved ones, not to show our ability to spend (usually, at least). And there is no reason why a previously loved thing cannot make someone happy while easing the burden This one overproduction puts in Planet.
It’s not like I’m giving horrible gifts. The earrings I got as a gift from my girlfriend last year, and I loved them, so I kept them close, but I don’t have pierced ears and I probably never will. The scented candle was presented to me too, but I don’t like its dusty scent. And the photo album was mine, and I loved it, but I don’t need it anymore, so I’m passing it on to someone who can appreciate it.
Passing on unwanted or already loved gifts is also a more sustainable option. At the very least, it is much better than keeping unnecessary garbage in our apartments until we finally decide to separate and throw it in the trash, sending it to a landfill or garbage incinerator, where it is designed to contribute toxic substances and pollution that warms the planet.
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Re-gifting – or any other personal choice in relation to Christmas presents – will not fundamentally solve the political problems that led to our global crisis of waste and overproduction. In our global economy, things – clothes, candles, whatever – are not meant to fill a certain amount of need, but to make the most profit, and to pass on some lost products will not change the whole system. The big problem is not present, it is the profit motive, baby.
But if I have a choice, I prefer not to just throw something away if I know someone else might want it. I also donate my delicately used items, but it’s nice to make someone you like smile too.
For what it’s worth, I’m not only cool about giving gifts already presented, but also receiving them. Some of the best gifts I have ever received – jewelry, pottery, a table, a guitar pedal – were things the donor had already used.
Most people who celebrate Christmas have certainly opened their gifts. But you can maintain the Christmas spirit by continuing to convey things. Give that mug that your mom gave you that you don’t need because your closet is too messy or that sweater that doesn’t fit you. Hell, give the things that does serve for you too, once you’ve done that. Do 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 the closet that you’re fed up with? Give a friend you know you’ll like and who can also be nice enough to let you borrow it for one night, when we can all go out in groups safely again. You will free up space in your home and save space in the waste stream. And you can make someone feel good too.