History Main / EncouragedRegifting

* ''Series/TheSopranos'': One episode has both Soprano children do this for Carmela's birthday. AJ buys her a DVD of ''Film/TheMatrix'' that isn't even wrapped and starts watching the film without her, while Meadow buys her a voucher for a spa day for two where she already added herself as the plus one. Tony can barely conceal his irritation at the both of them.

* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Poseidon sent a magnificent bull to king Minos, demanding that Minos sacrifice the bull to Him. Minos decided to keep the bull, in response to which Poseidon mind-controlled queen Pasiphae into conceiving the Minotaur.

A more [[ExploitedTrope cynical]] take on this trope is to have a character give a gift to someone who they know won't enjoy it, so that they can use it [[AGiftForThemselves for themselves]].

May result in a TheyReallyDoLoveEachOther moment. Expect it to show up when there is a SecretSanta. Will often occur in the ChristmasEpisode or the BirthdayEpisode or any episode that focuses on a holiday where gifts are exchanged.

* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'': The ChristmasEpisode had [[HippieTeacher Mr. Sikowitz]] making his class do a SecretSanta, with the requirement that gifts must be meaningful. Tori gets Andre, who has been down after getting a bad grade in his song writing class. After failing to come up with a meaningful gift for Andre, Tori is approached by her secret Santa, Jade. Jade's gift to Tori is a way to improve Andre's grade by doing a performance of the song for his teacher, which will be passed off as Tori's gift.

* The tradition of the [[Series/FraggleRock Fraggle]] Pebble for their [[YouMeanXmas "Festival of the Bells"]] in ''Film/AMuppetFamilyChristmas'' is built on this trope (see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi9qSKZuvC4&t=32m10s here]]). The Fraggles give someone a pebble, who must then give it to someone else. They tell the meaning in the song "Pass it On," explaining that giving something with love will bring love back to you. The pebble's been passed between the Fraggles well over thirty times at this point; and in the special it's given to Kermit's nephew Robin, who in turn gifts it to [[Series/SesameStreet Grover]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': In "Arthur's Perfect Christmas", Arthur wants to get his mom a glass bird to replace one he broke. Unfortunately, he breaks the new one the day of Christmas. He starts crying, thinking he's ruined Christmas, but is comforted by his [[CoolUncle uncle Fred]]. Fred decides to take the gift tag from Arthur's present and put it on the gift he was planning on giving Arthur's mom, so that Arthur will have something to give his mother.

** One Christmas, Homer forgets to get Marge a present. He searches town for something, but everything is either closed or sold out. Homer returns home, sad that he can't give Marge a present. However, Marge tells him that she knew he would forget to get her a gift. That's why her gift to Homer is a present he can give to her.

** Marge, however, {{Defie|dTrope}}s this out of spite by keeping the ball and learning to bowl with it herself. [[ItsAllAboutMe Homer is genuinely disappointed over this.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePoohAndChristmasToo'', Christopher Robin is writing down what the others want from Santa, and for each one Pooh asks Christopher to include a pot of honey, in case they want to share it with ''someone''. Ironically, after the letter is sent, Pooh realizes he never asked for anything for himself (at least not directly); his attempt to get the letter back sets off the plot.

[[folder: Comic Strip]]
* Done twice in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''.

[[folder:Myth and Legend]]

** In "Life on the Fast Lane", Patty and Selma warn Marge that every present Homer gives her for her birthday is something he really buys for himself, like a tackle box or a Connie Chung calendar. These warnings come true when Homer presents this year's gift: a bowling ball ''with his name engraved on it''.

* The tradition of the [[Series/FraggleRock Fraggle]] Pebble for their [[YouMeanXmas "Festival of the Bells"]] in ''Film/AMuppetFamilyChristmas'' is [[UpToEleven built on this trope]] (See [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi9qSKZuvC4&t=32m10s here]]). The Fraggles give someone a pebble, who must then give it to someone else. They tell the meaning in the song "Pass it On," explaining that giving something with love will bring love back to you. The pebble's been passed between the Fraggles well over thirty times at this point; and in the special it's given to Kermit's nephew Robin, who in turn gifts it to [[Series/SesameStreet Grover]].

'''Homer:''' Well, if you don't want it, I know someone who does.

A more [[ExploitedTrope cynical]] take on this trope is to have a character give a gift to someone who they know won't enjoy it, so that they can use it [[ItsAllAboutMe for themselves]].

** In "Life on the Fast Lane", Patty and Selma warn Marge that every present Homer gives her for their anniversary is something he really buys for himself, like a tackle box or a Connie Chung calendar. These warnings come true when Homer presents this year's gift: a bowling ball ''with his name engraved on it''.

Can overlap with AssPull, BatmanGambit, DeusExMachina, and SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments. May result in a TheyReallyDoLoveEachOther moment. Expect it to show up when there is a SecretSanta. Will often occur in the ChristmasEpisode or the BirthdayEpisode or any episode that focuses on a holiday where gifts are exchanged.

* April's 21st birthday in ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' has Ron gifting April a gun; he admits in a talking-head afterwards that he's regifting.

* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' establishes that nobody likes fruitcakes, so they regift them to the next rube just to pass the buck. It's always just the same one single fruitcake that gets passed along from one person to the next, until it somehow makes its way back into the hands of the original owner.

!! Examples

[[folder: Live-Action Films]]

* The tradition of the [[Series/FraggleRock Fraggle]] Pebble for their [[YouMeanXmas "Festival of the Bells"]] in ''Film/AMuppetFamilyChristmas'' is [[UpToEleven built on this trope]] (See [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi9qSKZuvC4&t=32m10s here]]). The Fraggles give someone a pebble, who must then give it to someone else. They tell the meaning in the song "Pass it On," explaining that giving something with love will bring love back to you. The pebble's been passed between the Fraggles well over thirty times at this point; and in the special it's given to Kermit's nephew Robin, who in turn gifts it to [[Series/SesameStreet Grover]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: LiveAction Television]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]
* In one Christmas ''Webcomic/DorkTower'' strip, Igor tells Matt that he "gives the gift of gaming". While he starts off making the valid point that there are games for everyone to enjoy, from small children to non-geeky adults, he eventually admits that the best part is if they ''don't'' want the games, which is why he's giving elderly relatives violent [=RPG=]s.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

-->'''Homer:''' Beauty, isn't she?
-->'''Marge:''' Well, it's hard for me to judge, [[SuddenlyShouting SINCE I'VE NEVER BOWLED IN MY LIFE!]]
-->'''Homer:''' Well, if you don't want it, I know someone who does.

[[/folder]]

Let's face it, looking for a gift for someone around the holidays can be hard. Even if you have an idea what they want, there's always a good chance it's sold out. This problem is just as difficult in fiction as it is in the real world. Many [[ChristmasSpecial Christmas Specials]] revolve around trying to get the right gift for someone and the difficulties that entails. Often, the character finds the perfect gift at the last minute. However, some times they won't and need help from someone else. That's where this trope comes in.

* The [[YouMeanXmas tradition of the Fraggle Pebble]] in ''Film/AMuppetFamilyChristmas'' is [[UpToEleven built on this trope]] (See [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi9qSKZuvC4&t=32m10s here]]). The Fraggles give someone a pebble, who must then give it to someone else. They tell the meaning in the song "Pass it On," explaining that giving something with love will bring love back to you.

[[AC: Possible Indexes]]

BirthdayTropes

ChristmasTropes

GiftTropes

TheseTropesShouldHelp