Buying the perfect gift is often a lot easier said than done, but buying a truly terrible, uniquely horrible gift is, in many ways, harder. Most folks can still make use of almost anything or, at the very least, sell what they don’t like. But getting someone an item that is actually insulting in its own special way takes talent.
A woman went viral after asking the internet what the worst Christmas gift people have gotten, so we gathered the best replies. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own tragic examples in the comments down below.

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my catholic step-family was never good to me because I'm not catholic and was born out of wedlock. my first Christmas with them, they gave me a lump of coal. literally. in front of about 30 people. I was 10.
Christ was conceived out of wedlock too. Maybe these people should actually spend some time reading their book, eh?
Load More Replies...Of course they slight the child born out of wedlock, not the adult family member who had them out of wedlock. Kids, when you're born, be very particular about the parents you choose.
Sometimes I see things like this and I just want to say that not all of us Christians are like this. I think this is awful, and so do almost all the other Christians I know. We are not all like this.
What a excellent example of how vile religious people often are. They make God look about as attractive as a chronic yeast infection.
Far too many bad people think merely professing to be religious means they are "good" and anything they do is justified. Up to and including harming children. It's sick.
my verrry religious godmother once told me how many church goers are vile gossips full of spite and meaness. I love imagining her 1,50m frail and small frame cussing them out for their behaviour.
Load More Replies...My family flew across the country to visit my aunt. I turned 8 during that trip. She gave me some used office supplies (a used legal pad, some post-its and a tape dispenser). I was a polite kid and just said thank you. Then she said “ok you passed the test, you’re grateful because it’s the thought that counts. Now give them back, I need them for work”. And no, there was no follow up gift.
"The thought that counts"? What thought? That was powered by anti-thought.
Worst Christmas we ever had, we were barely able to scrape together a couple gifts for each kid and nothing for each other. My brother and SIL sent us a book on how to manage debt. Not gonna lie, I cried off and on the whole day.....
Nothing worse than insults veiled as help. Some people need to be kept at arm's length
The most pervasive, fitness advice and pointing out you're fat under the guise of 'help'.
Load More Replies...I would have sent them a book next Christmas "How Not to be a Complete AH".
Or just Norman Vincent Peale's "How to in Friends and Influence People".
Load More Replies...I hope you burned it and sent them the ashes in a box with the smelliest garbage you could find on top. How cruel can you get?
An essential oil candle making kit - I suffer from migraines and scents are a trigger, especially those. And the gift giver knew that.
But!!! The essential oils will heal your migraines!!!! (heavy sarcasm)
I got a hand and stone massage gift card to use on my birthday. Birthday came, and I was excited to use it after a summer of oncology treatment. The staff told me that the person that gave me the card had already redeemed it online.
Oh, that one I would have given some serious "feedback" the the grifter, no that wasn't a spelling error. They would be invited to f right off out of my life entirely for good.
I would have called the gift giver right then and there and asked them why they gave me a gift card they had already used, called them cheap, then hung up and gone NC.
was invited to participate in the $25.00 gift exchange game at work. I got stuck with a Walmart brand sponge that had a clearance sticker on it. im still bitter
Wth do companies make people celebrate things together FFS? It's time to end that s**t. Not everybody celebrates the same holidays or eats the same food. People are there for pay cheque, not to be forced to socialize with people they,'d never speak to if not forced to.
Invited means they were given the option to participate or not. No one was forced.
Load More Replies...The person didn't want to spend $ on a work gift exchange that they were probably pressured into participating in. I get that.
I was given a bible despite them knowing I’ve been pagan all my life. They said “I needdd guidance”
I have to say, I normally appreciate the sentiment behind getting a gift where someone could have got me nothing, etc, but if someone gave me a bible I'd bin it in front of them. Don't push your beliefs onto me. I dropped a previous best friend after she gave me a book called "God is Good". I bought a book titled "God is not Good" but couldn't bring myself to give it to her because, even though her 'gesture' was thoughtless (we'd discussed this previously and it hadn't been an issue until she got engaged), I knew it would hurt her. It's still on my shelf. However, I don't regret binning the book she gave me. It sucks because she was otherwise a beautiful friend, but... pushing against religious boundaries is one of my few limits. I like to think I'm fairly generous, but that's a massive no.
They were trying to "save" you. The proper response should have been to hand it back and say "Next time, save your self the time it took to think of this inappropriate gift. See it worked, something was saved."
There's some really good advice in there, especially from that JC guy. Take it at face value, and ignore all the parts that don't make sense. After all, the majority of so-called 'christians' wouldn't now their own rules if you slapped them with the New Testament, so if it's good enough for them it's good enough for you, right?
Those are the people who deserve to be asked difficult questions about all the places where their holy book contradicts itself
A brand new, super nice crockpot. I was then told that I didn’t really need that big crockpot, so here, you take our used one and we’ll keep the nice new one.
Why not just give you the used one in the first place? Instead of being known as people who gift used items, now they're the people who take gifts back. I don't think I'm the only one who's consider.that worse
Work gave me a gift card then said gift card was taken out of my next check.
Wow, l have never heard anything like that. Shame the company by naming it
A yard of random fabric and a heart-shaped wreath made of straw when I was like 9. I had never shown interest in any fabric crafts, and I have no clue what the wreath had to do with it.
For my quinceñera my godparents got my sister and I necklaces her name was spelled right my name was spelled Lisa ( my name is laisa)… my mom made me wear it for pictures, she didn’t want them to think I was ungrateful. So my quincena pictures the necklace is visible and so is my misspelled name 🤦🏻♀️
The guy I was seeing, stopped by the liquor store before we were going to exchange gifts and picked me up a bottle of wine. I don’t drink wine. I got him a gift that I had bought months before that I knew he was going to love. Afterwards, I found out that the other woman he as seeing (unbeknownst to me) got some very special, heartfelt gifts. Still hurts when I think about it.
I don’t know if this is the worst, but it did kind of suck. I bought something for myself left it at someone’s house and months later after I had forgotten about it, they gifted it to me. I asked them if it was something I had left at their house and they said no. The receipt was in the bag and it had my credit card number on it.
Credit card number on the receipt?? Why?? It is like when you give you credit card to a waiter. There must be so much identity theft in thoes countries
Where I live, they put the last few digits on the receipt; not the entire number.
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A USED children’s coloring book. Received from my dad’s mother when I was in high school.
At this point (if they've forgotten or don't like the person) just give money in an envelope
Since the coloring book was used, I doubt they paid any money for it. That was the point.
Load More Replies......and into the trash it goes along with any interest in that grandmother forever.
my ex gave me a bunch of fabric and said "I know you love to sew. you can make me clothes." 😭
When I was turning 15, my mom started asking me about two weeks before my birthday if I wanted an aquarium. I made it very clear. I did not want an aquarium because I did not want fish because I did not want pets because I did not want to take care of them. She asked me every day for two weeks and I very clearly said no. Guess what I got for my 15th birthday 🤦♀️it wasn’t the gift itself. It was the BS associated with it that makes it the worst.
Oh, god yes. Same, except I was about ten. They sat it up in my room ( I had very little space) then I was in constant trouble because I didn't take care of it
...and then I would have told her, "hope you're planning to take care of this, because I won't be. Let's just take it back to the store and forget about the gift".
When I received nothing on Christmas after gifting my family everything they wanted.
I'm disappointed today...I wrapped a pile of presents and I received nothing in return. 😕
Lesson learned. Next year, and perhaps forever after, they get nothing from you. In fact I'd decline to even get together with them on the holidays entirely in future.
My then husband bought “me” 4 towels for Christmas. There were 5 of us in the family. Guess who didn’t get a new towel to dry off with..
I got ONE towel from my MIL. Color was a sh.t green. I first used it for cleaning, then threw it away because it always reminded me of that special Christmas.
Yeah, this is for sure your own fault. Hubby gets the old towel if he's the one who did this.
I received a curling brush that had hair stuck in it. From mil
Even if you are, you can take the time to remove the old hair.
Load More Replies...Im 48 and my mom got me Lincoln Logs for Christmas last year!
"Great mom, I'll use them to add on your room when you come live with us.
Google them. They're a kids' toy that can be used to make buildings, etc. Primarily a US thing (not sure if you're from the US or not?).
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I copier/printer/fax machine. I didn’t have a computer at the time, but they had just bought one.
You can still use a multifunction printer without a computer. Eg, the copier/fax functions.
If the printer has wi-fi, you can print on it from a phone or tablet.
Load More Replies...Maybe they genuinely though you'd get a computer at some point? It's not an unusual thing to own
an 0 balance gift card to Sephora. I told them it was empty and they didn't do anything either
I would never accept another gift from them. I'd just hand anything they tried to give back and say, "no thanks".
My x mother in law got me maternity clothes. I was not pregnant 😬
My sister in law gave me a bag of flour because “I loved biscuits so much”. I don’t even like biscuits. Still used the flour though
I received a crock pot from my boss. I could tell it had been used cause it had dried food on the bottom if it. Yuck! I threw it away.
Told my ex how I’m EXTREMELY picky when it comes to perfumes and that I have to smell and choose them myself. Guess what he bought me for a bday gift?
My daughter got her own perfume and I gave her the money and I wrapped it, that is the only present she knew, at least it was what she wanted it
Never tell someone you don't like the scent of their perfume. They may not be wearing any.
an anti-aging cream for 60+ people while i’m 17💔
I was once gifted a trash can. From my now ex-mother in law. Everyone else got iPads, video games, makeup, etc. I got a plastic black trash can with the goodwill sticker still stuck to the bottom. 😀
I've bin thinking the same thing. The mind pails at such a deed.
Load More Replies...If the gift giver was watching, I'd walk some of these gifts over to the trash bin and dump them right then and there.
My grandma gave me one pound weights and then asked for them back about six months later
my mom tried to give me life insurance for my 27th bday, but with her as the beneficiary, not my wife... "happy birthday, if you die i get money" 🙃 i refused to sign the forms. so she gave me eagle-engraved real silver boullions instead. equally weird.
Because you're full of irrational anger at men, and you're taking it out on their mothers?
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a printed copy of his Facebook profile pic
Or circle perceived flaws in red and mark it high-school style.
Load More Replies..."Thanks, but you should be aware that the toilet paper shortage is over."
my bf bought me king size sheets for my bed except I had a queen size bed. He had a king bed. He bought me sheets for his bed because I slept in it sometimes. 🤦🏻♀️Married him and accepted he is the worst gift giver ever
You know, if the sheets were not his style (thread count, material, etc), or were a color he didn't like, or if he thought they were uncomfortable or ugly or too "feminine", but bought them anyway because she slept there sometimes and he wanted her to feel comfortable and like the sheets even though they were at his place, it's actually a thoughtful gift. I mean, if someone lived with something they didn't like but they willingly did it because I liked it and I came over sometimes to see it, I would be touched.
My husband gave me a scale for Christmas
My ex gave me a chip of paint from a coach bus he was working on because it’s expensive paint and therefore expensive gift.
A old used beanie baby and a card from my mother in law that said “sorry I disappoint you”
A handmade coupon for a homemade dinner once a month, from my mother, for Christmas, for both me and my wife. I was in my 40s. Didn’t even get one. She claimed it was because she was broke. Turns out she was giving money to her drunkard, deadbeat neighbors.
The year my parents forgot to get me xmas gifts and just retagged some gifts very obviously meant for my sister.
S/he's not the favorite one. I'm treated the same way. Actually cried yesterday.
Load More Replies...My aunt gave my brother a tv and me a box of chocolates
I once got hair clips and slippers. They were cool but I wear a size 10 and the slippers were 7s. And I’ve never worn hair clips in my entire life 🙃 pretty sure they were extra pieces of junk my mom got with her shopping addiction
Losing lotto scratchers .. there is no way to tell, I get it. But the 30 second scratch thrill is meh.
I have to sell those at work and sometimes I feel like offering to bin their money instead to save time.
My great uncle used to always give us scratchers. Like $5 worth a person. It was fun and I loved it!
I have included these in stockings. I don't see a big issue, as long as the recipient hasn't expressed anti gambling views or has a gambling a*******n
My aunts always used to send scratchies in our birthday cards, rather than money (which you technically aren't allowed to send). I don't think I ever won. Good early introduction to why gambolling doesn't pay off. I didn't mind, I just liked getting the cards.
I've gone to parties and these were favors, that is fun. A gift of a scratch off is not meaningful.
My husband's late stepmonster used to gift us scratchoffs for Christmas. I always thought it was dumb. I mean, if we had hit a big prize, she would absolutely have wanted a big cut, the ignorant cow.
An already burned candle.
I had three separate people go in on a five dollar gift card from Best Buy for my Birthday.
What can you even get for $5 at Best Buy? One-fifth of a USB cable?
Wonder how much of the $5 credit had already been used when the OP got it?
my grandmother gifted my dad the sleep apnea mask my grandfather was wearing when he passed away in his sleep. 😆 🤣 😂 only because my dad also uses sleep apnea thought he could use it.
This is disturbing. I have 2 cochlear implants and an uncles who recently passed had 1, both of us had the implants made by the same company. I gladly took his extra parts but it wasn't a Christmas gift, it was just "Can you use these?" offer.
My mil got me a gift of tea light candles and incense because she wanted more grandchildren and that was supposed to be ambiance to get my husband and I “in the mood” to make that happen.
My ex’s wealthy grandma regifted me an old lady moo moo nightgown that had a collar and cows on it. Everyone else got gift cards to restaurants or stores. There was also slippers she had already worn that had foot crust in them. Yes, foot crust.
My grandma was a doozy when it came to gift giving. For one birthday, she gave my mom (her daughter in law) a menopause pamphlet from her doctor’s office. For one Christmas, she gave me a single mitten. Just one, and I never received the other one. Meanwhile, she always gave elaborate, lavish gifts to the relatives she liked more. We could always tell which people were her favorites. 😐
My ex bought me decorative table napkins 😒 for my birthday our THIRD year together. And they had sunflowers on them. I hate sunflowers.
When I was 12 my grandma gave me a 4XL neon yellow men’s polo 👕. My other gram gave me a pair of hot pink and zebra print 6 inch heels (also at 12).
Guy at work gave me a taxedermy bass fish mounted to a piece of wood. lol
Even if it seems fishy, a gift is nothing to carp about. There's a whale of a difference between giving a gift and not giving one, so no floundering about when it comes to it.
A new toilet! Literally wrapped up with a red bow and put under the tree!
My aunt very proudly gave me “something so meaningful, handmade and thoughtful” from a mission trip to a country in South America ? Maybe central? I don’t remember. But I was maybe 12 at the time and the gift was quite literally a domino on a string. To this day my mom and I joke about it. I’m 31 now
MIL buys me clothes she would wear 😅
Advice to buy people something you would like to receive always seemed suspicious to me
My sister gave me a purse with trash in it, guess she was done with it
Somewhere between eight and twelve I was gifted a mop head for my birthday
It was 1989, I was goth, my brother gave me a new kids on the block cd. I skipped it like a rock down the street.
An unfinished bathroom door
As a gift, an unfinished bathroom door is preferable to an unfinished bathroom visit.
The width of the bathroom doors in my last 3 homes were narrower than the others in the house.
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I don't collect pops. one year my only 2 relatives both got me the same pop because one of the only things they knew about me was I liked the show. they went shopping together and knowingly both got the same one and just insisted they were copied by the other.
Just because you don't collect them, doesn't mean they knew you didn't like them. Collections have to start somewhere and even if it doesn't make you start collecting, doesn't mean you can't own one. Sounds like they were trying to be thoughtful by getting something related to a show you like. I don't collect them, but wouldn't be offended if someone got me one of a character from something I like, because it shows they know something about my interests.
How do you know they went shopping together and both decided to get the same one? That would be weird and I can't see the advantage of it.
My sister got me face wipes, weird bug and moth notecards, and a free bag of coffee. I was trying to repair our relationship at the time….
TBH "weird bug and moth notecards" sound rather quirky and lovely! This doesn't sound a bad collection of little gifts!
my boyfrind of 3 yrs Mom gave me a manicure kit. She worked for Avon and it was a party gift she got free from Avon. i was 18. i saved up and bought her an expensive sweater
Did she hate you, was she clueless, or in the worst pits of poverty?
Load More Replies...My mom gave me a manicure kit once, then observed “Oh, you don’t have nice long fingernails like I do!”
Ex Bf gave me dollar store candle. He came from a wealthy family. I threw it away.
My MIL gifted me a pair of olive green polyester western pants. One Christmas she got me a mop bucket!
5 dollar Walmart t-shirt... I knew they were 5 bucks because I was wearing the same one they bought me 😁
That's not a bad gift - it's a gift you obviously can use. It's just inexpensive. Nothing wrong with that, there's no minimum entitlement for gifts.
It's ok to give a cheap gift if you would be satisfied with receiving one just as cheap.
Load More Replies...My great aunt gifted me old lady shirts from thrift shops on sizes L and XL. Had me try them on after I told her I was a size Medium. Told me I look bigger than that and was surprised when the shirts she gave me did not fit.
Better than the other way around, you can wear them to be comfy at home and maybe as an additional layer when it's cold.
I love an oversized hoodie especially
Load More Replies...To be fair, a great-aunt may be old and out of touch!?! Ps. I am a great aunt F77 and gave all the kids $$$ this ywar
secret Santa, there were 3, 1 was a tiny glass box you would get from the dollar tree, 2 was a glass piece of corn decor from Thanksgiving and the 3rd was a ugly brown glass vase. I was absolutely horrified that someone would think its ok to give trash as presents
My mom promised a month in advance to take me to a rage room for my birthday. It was all I wanted, I didn't want gifts or cake. my birthday comes, it's ten pm, when she says "Oh yeah, it's your birthday. Do you wanna get some food?"
I really wanted to go to a rage room but found out apparently you need to take your own stuff to break... at least the one we looked at. Incredibly disappointing...
A rage room provides a safe, controlled environment where individuals can release pent-up aggression by smashing objects with various tools.
Load More Replies...lol, at Christmas with my in-laws and my MIL opens a gift from my FIL. It is a gaudy gold necklace. She barely comments on it and turns and then gives it to me. Like now if I accept it, I am adding to my MIL's gesture of disdain towards my FIL, but if I decline it I insult her generosity!
"Thank you the generous offer but dear FIL gave that to you. That you would give it away would probably hurt his feelings. I'm sure he wants to see you wearing it."
Not always. My mother loves my wife nearly as much as I do. Her mom, on the other hand, well... best left unsaid.
Load More Replies...When I was 12, I was gifted a pajama shirt with Santa Claus’ body on it. My bday’s in February 😒
Likely a regift. They must have gotten it for Christmas, and then gave it to you in February for your birthday?.
Santa Claus' body! I had no idea he was dead. Did you call the cops?
My ex’s dad’s girlfriend got me an XXXL jacket from J Crew. She “thought it would fit me.” I was a size 6.
You (theoretically) could sneak in friends to the movies.
Load More Replies...My first Christmas dating my yt husband, his mom gave me a Native American ceramic doll because “she has black hair and dark skin” just like me. I’m Mexican. Another year my MIL gave me a used electric foot bath/spa that she bought on ebay and it only worked on one side.
White. I've seen it used that way just enough to have guessed at it from context.
Load More Replies...One Christmas I thought I was getting getting a ring 💍 for by boyfriend , instead a got a radar detector for my car..he said I wanted to get you a “practical “ gift
my dad and his wife gave me a puzzle from a library sale- oh yeah and they aren't sure if all the pieces are there. ALSO, a 100 things to do when you retire book... this was last xmas gift
my own grandma once bought me a necklace with my birthstone! it wasn’t even my birthstone…
So what as long as it was pretty? Who the heck knows about birthstones anyway?
My brother gave me his old retainer wrapped up so pretty one Christmas. I was so excited he actually got me something because he never did and then the let down. I’ll never forget it. 😂
My ex husband bought me some fancy ramen noodles for my birthday…So I could make ramen for him. I didn’t even eat ramen.
ironing board for 🎄
for our first wedding anniversary my now ex husband got me lightbulbs
If the first anniversary gift was supposed to be glass, that might actually be an idea. But the first anniversary is supposed to be paper...
A stress ball from my mother in law on my birthday….
A large freaking TEDDY BEAR—as a 34 year old woman—for Valentine’s Day, from my husband, who was “influenced” by a radio commercial, and who knew I don’t care for Teddy Bears. Terrible Gift. He was more into the radio station than me. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
My BF found one of those gigantic realistic stuffed tigers while cleaning out his parents' basement and gave it to me for my birthday. Best part was the big dummy positioned it so the head was sticking out the window as he was driving and a cop pulled him over thinking it was real.
for a secret santa i was given a pack of pencils… to give to her… because she would “borrow” my pencils in first period so she could have a pencil for the rest of the day
Literally the other day someone gifted me a Jo Malone gift with purchase, like with the small samples! I was utterly confused like why? 😂😂😂
My kid sister got a pair of boots, my younger brother got an expensive bathrobe from our mom and I… got a bathrobe and two used DVDs that didn’t work.
I don't get it. Can't native English speakers try to master grammar rules in the only language they speak? I think this is the 3rd or 4th time in this post that the OP does not know how when to use "I" and when I to use "me."
Third or fourth? It seems to me like it's the 512th time. Or more; I've lost track.
Load More Replies...fish covered toilet seat for Christmas
a Homer Simpson chia pet. it was a bday gift from my ex. (I never watched the Simpsons or expressed any interest in owning a chia pet)
You get chia pets bc it's what you can pick up at Walgreen's the day of.
I won one of those for a Halloween costume contest. I went as Medusa.
My aunt gave me a sweater that was gifted to her that she didn’t want but was too small for me.
My ex sister in law wrapped up about 8 tea bags and gave them to me
1. Camping equipment. I hate camping! 2. Clothes that were tried on my short, fat, mousy cousin and never fit tall, thin, redheaded me.
One year my aunt gave me beautiful gold hoop earings, the next year i was given a decorative bar of soap. thats it.
It's always the mother of the man who is unhinged
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when I was 15, for my birthday, my aunt gave me 20 dollars. twenty whole dolleridoos. and told me "here. not even my grandkids get that".... 2 weeks later, she gave me cousin(her grandkid), 100 dollars total, combined with my uncles money for my cousin, and she loved and doted all over him.... he was turning 9. and got 2 or 3 $30+ action figures of wrestlers.
Some of the these were mean or thought less. But some were not worth getting upset at - like getting a cheap Generic gift for secret Santa. What did the recipient expect for secret Santa?
My ex made me thank him because he was going to buy me some expensive shoes… I had to thank him for the thought
I forgot whether it was for Chanukah or my birthday, but about a year ago [I was 12-13], my grandma once gifted me a bag of personal safety alarms. I refused to take them home with me.
One, I can get, but a whole bag?? Maybe a way to say you're precious to her?
Load More Replies...My sister bought me 4 white washcloths from a cheap store. I think she paid less than 1€. The wrapping paper was probably more expensive.
Once when I looked after my manager's pet dog when she went on holiday, she gave me a carrier bag with all the free tea, coffee and sugar sachets from her hotel room as a thank you. She is someone who thinks nothing of spending tens of thousands on a car or hundreds of pounds on an outfit.
A book with photos of chickens and some not funny jokes from my mother in law (not bad intention, she bought one for everyone). This year my mum gave me a bag, oven mittens and a lot of things I'm allergic to.
Some of the these were mean or thought less. But some were not worth getting upset at - like getting a cheap Generic gift for secret Santa. What did the recipient expect for secret Santa?
My ex made me thank him because he was going to buy me some expensive shoes… I had to thank him for the thought
I forgot whether it was for Chanukah or my birthday, but about a year ago [I was 12-13], my grandma once gifted me a bag of personal safety alarms. I refused to take them home with me.
One, I can get, but a whole bag?? Maybe a way to say you're precious to her?
Load More Replies...My sister bought me 4 white washcloths from a cheap store. I think she paid less than 1€. The wrapping paper was probably more expensive.
Once when I looked after my manager's pet dog when she went on holiday, she gave me a carrier bag with all the free tea, coffee and sugar sachets from her hotel room as a thank you. She is someone who thinks nothing of spending tens of thousands on a car or hundreds of pounds on an outfit.
A book with photos of chickens and some not funny jokes from my mother in law (not bad intention, she bought one for everyone). This year my mum gave me a bag, oven mittens and a lot of things I'm allergic to.
