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30 Of The Worst Christmas Gifts People Ever Received, As Shared In This Online Group
Christmas is just around the corner, meaning that a lot of us are already planning on how to decorate our home, what to make for the holiday and how to surprise our loved ones with beautiful and meaningful presents. Surely, Christmas isn’t just about the things we get, but who doesn’t like to get something they really wished for? Gifting and getting presents provides a lot of joy, especially when you get to see the face of your loved one being happy with what they received. However, sometimes the gifts that we get can be quite sad and disappointing.
Having this in mind, Reddit user @Jalb101222 asked others online to share what kind of presents they received that could be added to a worst present list. The question with more than 33k upvotes was answered by sharing some hilarious stories that revealed what interesting yet distasteful things people got for Christmas.
Which one of these presents do you find the worst? Maybe you have your own story to share? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
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One year I got what was actually a super cool present. My parents had worked for months putting together this awesome art kit. It was a big toolbox filled with good scissors, glue, paint, colored pencils, glitter, and every other thing a crafty little kid could want. The problem was, every time they would go upstairs to add to it, they had a running joke where they would say "we're going upstair to feed your present" or "we need to take your present for a walk tee tee tee". So of course on Christmas morning instead of being a little kid who was stoked to get a huge box of art supplies, I was a little kid who was devastated that I didn't get a puppy.
My extended family used to do this thing where you'd put your name on a piece of paper and put it in a hat, then draw someone out and that's who you'd get a gift for. It was supposed to be anonymous.
I got two terrible gifts on consecutive years.
The first terrible gift was a DVD of Fast and Furious 3. I'd literally never watched even a second of those movies, and I'm pretty sure the franchise was up to like.. episode 4 or 5 at that point.
The very next year, someone got me a cheap pair of fake leather driving gloves. They were about two sizes too small.
So me, not being a 'car guy' at all, has somehow convinced my uncles and aunts that I'm secretly a tokyo drift racer or something.
The year after that, my mom got my name. You're supposed to put the name back if it's immediate family, but she kept my name knowing I got screwed two years running. She got me a Kindle Fire. :)
Instead of received I’ll switch to gave. I bought my whole family tickets to see James Brown live. Literally within minutes of them opening their presents it was announced on the news Christmas morning that James Brown died.
My husbands step mother gave me, a 36 year old at the time, a kindergarten size back pack and when I opened it she said, “I actually bought that for ——- (a child) a few years ago and she hated it so I threw it in a closet and I saw it and thought you’d like it. None of us did, we all think it’s ugly.”
That same year they gave my 3 kids gifts totaling all together $15 with the clearance stickers on them while her biological granddaughter opened a $300 unicorn. Which they made sure we knew cost $300, and then they pointed out to everyone our clearance stickers and what great deals they were (they weren’t), and then they made my kids leave the room so the grand daughter could take pics alone with her unicorn.
It was the last Christmas we visited them. lol
A set of miniature butter knives with ceramic fruit and vegetables as the handles. From an aunt who said that I was "So hard to shop for"
I was 7
Looking back, it wasn't a bad present, but when I got a pair of pants for Christmas when I was 6, I started crying and screamed out "You're supposed to get me these anyways!"
A Lamborghini calender. My brother got a guitar and amp. My two sisters got a bike each. F**k i hate Lamborghinis now
So I was dating a guy for a few months when Christmas rolled around. He had recently started a new job that required travel and this was before smart phones and built in GPS in your car were common, so I splurged a bit and got him a Garmin to help him find his way. Thoughtful, useful, but not too sentimental; it felt perfect for where the relationship was at the time.
Due to schedules, we couldn’t get together until a few days after Christmas. In my haste to go see him, I walked right out the door without his gift. I didn’t realize it until I got to his house and I felt terrible, but he said, “No worries, I’ll give you your gifts now and I’ll just get mine later.”
Cool. So he goes into the other room and comes back with two wrapped gifts. I noticed some of the paper was messed up like it had been rewrapped, but didn’t think much of it in the moment.
I carefully unwrapped the first package. It was a MMA magazine. That had clearly been read. I was… confused. I do not like MMA. Not even a little bit. Nor have I ever expressed interest in MMA. Not once. He, on the other hand, loved all things MMA.
Trying to move on, I politely thanked him, set the magazine down, and refocused on the next gift. I could tell it was a DVD from the shape of the package. And indeed, it was a DVD. A Forrest Gump DVD. With the cellophane wrapper missing. Now don’t get me wrong, Forrest Gump is a solid choice. Except, I already owned a Forrest Gump DVD. And now here I was suddenly the proud owner of a second copy that appeared used.
I again thanked him and sat there quietly, trying to wrap my head around how he could have arrived at the conclusion that a used magazine on a topic I didn’t like and a secondhand DVD of something I already owned would make for good Christmas gifts.
He also got a little quiet, then sheepishly volunteered, “I, uh, got bored so I watched the movie yesterday.” I just stared. “And then I, uh, hadn’t seen that issue yet… so I went ahead and read through it. I think you’ll really like it!” I slowly responded, “So… you got me a magazine because you wanted to read it and then watched the movie you got for me because you were bored?” His only response was, “Well yeah, I guess so.” I left not long after.
The next day, I returned the Garmin for a full refund. About a week later, he called and said he didn’t think it was working out. “No problem,” I said, “I don’t think it’s working out either.”
As we were wrapping up the call, expressing well wishes and all that, he paused for a beat and said, “Hey, uh, were you still going to give me that Christmas present?”
Every year my aunt gives our family “Thrift Santa” gifts, like a bunch, from thrift stores. The thing is, nothing relates to anything. The worst I’ve gotten are among a Kama Sutra book when I was 13/14 (awkward), and a New York Yankees baby onesie. I don’t have kids, I don’t watch baseball.
When I was 18 my grandma gave me the card label from a gift card (no actual gift card) shoved into an empty toilet paper tube and wrapped like a gift. All of my siblings got actual gift cards. Grandma never liked me much.
One time when I was 10 my mum gave me & by brother a packet of plastic rainbow bendy straws each for Christmas.
She was mad at our dad for having brought us back 3 days late from his part of the holidays & took it out on us.
Being a contrary soul, I happily took my brother's discarded pack & proceeded to make a million rainbow flutes that I would incessantly try to learn to play, for the next two months.
I suspect she lived to regret her choice since I also never cleaned any of my discarded flutes up.
My cousin once gave me an autographed picture of himself. Which was funny as hell so I didn’t mind.
A box of top ramen. Just a standard grocery box of ramen bags. It was wrapped up with a nice bow too, and it was not gifted as a joke. My family knew I was having financial troubles and was only eating one meal a day, they honestly thought they were helping me out.
If you really want to help someone out, maybe getting better food would be most considerate.
My mom asked what my 13-year-old daughter wanted for Christmas and I said, "she likes to sew." How this led to our entire extended family buying her nothing but yarn I do not know. That was 2 years ago and there's still so much yarn.
My grandpa was planning on giving me a tissue box with money in it (still not sure why). Anyway he wrapped the wrong box and I opened a box of tissues on Christmas morning
The time I was really into Green Day and the emerging "alternative" music of the mid 90s. And my mom bought me a few CDs (back when CDs were something stupid like $20 each). Wow! Awesome gift! Except the CDs were Toni Braxton and Mariah Carey and something else I've completely forgotten.
Or the Christmases when my brother would get a pile of presents or something pretty expensive (foosball table, air hockey table, etc), and I'd get a couple books and lipgloss. I love those things, so the gifts themselves weren't bad, but I was clearly not the favored child.
In the aftermath of gift opening, mom would look at the pile my brother got and the few gifts I got, then make a big show of stomping around the house claiming she knows she got more for me, she must have misplaced all the other gifts! Without fail, for several years in a row, she "misplaced" my gifts. Because she realized in the moment that she spent waaaaay more on my brother than me. Never once did she find these "misplaced" gifts.
And to make it worse, my birthday is shortly after Christmas, so I never got much for my birthday because the budget was blown on Christmas. My brother claims he remembers me getting s**tty birthday gifts and I was always jealous of his. I don't have any memory of that, but it very well could be. (The worst birthday was the year I only got a Bible with my name stamped on the front in gold lettering. That's a birthday I remember quite clearly.)
I have three sisters and the gifts are always disproportionate. I guess that's what I get for living far away and providing no grandchildren lol
Some siblings have a rule of no gifts who won't physically be there at Xmas...our family lives on both coasts so many who don't fly 3,000 miles to get her crappy gifts don't give a hoot. But do resent her silly discriminatory rule. It's like you don't get her $25 gift if you don't spend $500 to visit her [punishment].
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It’s stupid to get stuff like a foosball table or air hockey and have it be for ONE kid when you have two. He can’t play those games by himself! Easy fix is to just have those big gifts addressed to both kids.
Yep! Super easy. One year, my brother and I got Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and it was for both of us, so my brother couldn't pull the 'it's my gift' card on me.
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I feel that but with my aunt gifting presents to my sister and I. Best example was when she came back from a trip with boxes and boxes of designer and boutique clothing for my sister...then gave me free plastic boxes she got from the airline and said "because you like these types of things right?" Hmmm yeah totally loved them, especially after watching my sister open her many gifts first 🙄
My mom claims that she spent equally between my brother and I. The one year I actually thought she was right she said she had forgotten one gift for him that was out in the garage. It was an entire stereo system.. so no, it was not equal and he was most definitely the favorite lol
My grandma got my sister a bible for her 16th birthday with her name embossed in gold on the front. It was a little late because they spelled her name wrong and she got a new one with the right spelling. When I turned 16 I also got a bible with my name embossed in gold on the front from my Grandma. If you look closely, you can see my sister's name (misspelt) under my name.
Toss your book of fairy tales. If GlitterQueen's female, you should wonder why there are chapters titled MatthewMarkLukeJohn but not StefJenShaquilaGlitter. Or why Noah's wife or Lot's wife didn't have surnames [they were a guy's adjunct, shadows who didn't deserve names]. Or all the other sexist, homophobic, violent junk in that book written by guys w/wee warts in their perineal areas. Really.
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What the hell is wrong with people? I'm a triplet and we all got good gifts on our birthday.
My birthday is 5 days after Christmas but I got lucky because I’m an only child and my parents make sure to separate Christmas and my birthday
My family pulled names when I was pre-teen through 19. I’m a size 2XL! I’d get size Large every clothes item. Never had pierced ears-got ears & necklace that were heavy zippers. I was 19 and got American Girl stationary because I liked to write letters. About ten yrs old I got a box set of the LOTR books. I had no interest I wasn’t a 10yr old boy. I have kept very few Christmas gifts. And this year I was asked make a list, make a list. I did I only got the 2 books I asked for….won’t mention the rest. Will not make lists May quit exchanging gifts.
It isn't easy, Both my husband and my daughter are the 20th December, I had always strived to make sure that my daughter at least, had a Birthday party.
My parents always celebrated my Christmas brother's birthday a week before.
re: Birthdays. When I was 10, my dad went "You're a teenager now. Teenagers don't get presents." -- I was horrified, heartbroken, you name it. Now, before you villanize my dad... He followed it up with "We need to do grown up things now. You pick where we go and what we do, and then we go and do it." My dad was working long hours, every day. So to get a WHOLE day, alone with my dad... that was just awesome. He did this every year on my birthday up until I was 18. We went for ice cream in Prague, Cake (SACHER!!) in Vienna, Spaghetti in Italy, Chocolate in Switzerland... (I'm German btw) Guys, if you can't afford a present for your kid, do THIS. They pick the place and activity, then go do it. They will remember those "Birthday Presents" for a lifetime, because you gave them a memory. WAY better than a toy that's forgotten 5 minutes later.
I'm so sorry sweetie! I grew up pretty poor with 5 siblings, but we always got the same amount!
I think the one thing that’s hardest to learn and it’s far from easy, but that is being with the people you love whether it’s friends or family as opposed to a gift. One day you’ll be able to buy the things you like. And on the other hand your family and friends can be gone in a blink of an eye. Don’t forget that. In a blink of an eye. In that scenario would you rather be holding a new gift or your family?
It was crazy how expensive CDs were, especially when you account for inflation.
I am glad my family never had that problem, apart from my dads mum. my dad who is my mums second husband cut contact with his mum for many reasons for a while, but one of the issues was she would get me and my younger brother great gifts like light up firefighters truck with lights and sounds and spend like £50 at a time on us and have no issue with it but my elder half siblings got a pack of sweets and stickers if they were lucky and the actual things like Christmas and birthdays were worse for the two time I remember her sending gifts.
I was given a Bible when I was 12. My grandma didn't approve of the Catholic school Bible I had....so I got 2 useless (to me) books. Grandma also gave me her old Timex. Unusable because the hands were easily moved whenever I moved a lot. It seemed to run backwards
Stop wasting our time whining if that's all you got to offer. We already know you're lazy. Now we find you're redundant & your brain doesn't move when you type.
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A Bible’s a great gift and all, but for that to be your only present, even on a budget, is unfortunate.
A bible is not great...it's fairy tales made up by a bunch of Middle Eastern guys who were women-haters.
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Started loving computers at age 7 in 92 (ZX Spectrum and then 186, 286 etc) at our local kids club, kept on going, learned to code early, was addicted to everything related to them. Grandma called me and told me she had sent money to my parents to buy me a PC ( at 11, in 96). I was so excited, al my friends could not wait to see it and play with me, I could not sleep for days on end. Then Christmas Eve came ( we do the gifts in the evening). Rushed under the tree aaaaand … surprise .. I .. got .. a mobile electronic organ player.
My Mom told me “ it has buttons right ? Just like a computer” … ( she took the money and bought an automatic washing machine). I’m still f***ing upset Mom !
Wanted to clear something out. I was/am a bit upset only on that particular situation. My family is fantastic, they made sacrifices above and beyond for me. We were almost on the poor poor side. I love both my parents and I admire them and I did not want to paint a monster picture of my Mom. I love hear and respect her like nobody else in my life. I did reply to this question to explain that certain situations that happen during your childhood will have an impact for the rest of your life, even more if they are connected to an event celebrated by many others. I remember it and get a bit sad but then I remember my childhood and my family and I smile, knowing that I grew up in a positive environment and that they gave up so much for me to grow and allowed me to have my own jurney. I tried my best to reply to all the comments. I am dyslexic and sometimes I do not write the words correctly, apologies for that. I did however notice one fantastic thing - You guys are supportive ( each in his own way), and that is wonderfull!! These days people like you are a rare. Thank you and I do hope that you all have a happy life and that you will be able to learn from others ( as I also do) and avoid making some mistakes. Be safe and stay awesome.
A comic book that was laying around the house for several months which I read twice in this period. I didn’t know it was supposed to be my surprise present.
When I was younger, the family car had three rows of seats: the drivers seat, the passenger seats and one seat in the boot of the car, right next to where we usually stored things, like shopping bags. One time I sat in the boot seat while my mum was going shopping with me and my brothers, and I spotted a Zhu Zhu Pets book that was sitting right out in the open. Not even hidden or anything. So I read it, and didn't say anything because I assumed it was a Christmas present for someone else. Suprise: I got a Zhu Zhu Pets book from Santa that year! My parents are extremely lucky that I didn't get suspicious that Santa gave me a book that my mum also bought.
Last year my mom.bought me a can opener. Wrapped it and gave it to me when everyone was gathered around exchanging gifts too so theyd all see and get to share in her laughter. Unfortunately she was the only one who found it funny, everyone else just thought it was f**ked up.
An ex gave me an engagement ring for herself, on the idea that I would use it to propose to her. She also gave specific instructions on how and when I should do it, as well as stipulations that she would be the one planning our wedding. We had a terrible relationship and I had been planning on breaking up with her right after the holidays (which I did). I couldn't understand how she thought we were even close to being on the same page, and once it was all over I realized the obvious and what everyone was trying to tell me for 3 years--I was in an abusive relationship. Still, who the hell buys a ring for someone to give back to them? It's just bad gifting.
"I'm taking $500 off the debt you owe me." - written in a Christmas card from my adopted mother.
Edit for context: She kept a running tally of money owed in the time I lived there. Swearing-$10, $15 if I was in the house when I supposed to have waited for them to come home first, stuff like that. IIRC she still had the notebook/ledger 5 years after I moved out.
When the tomagotchi craze was in full swing my siblings and I asked for one.
My sisters both got one, and I got a jacket because mine was torn up and small. When I asked my dad why I didn't get one and if Santa thought I did something bad that year. He told me I was too old for Santa and needed to learn life isn't fair.
I was 8. My sisters were 7 and 5. From that point forward I only ever received clothing.
Damn. I'm not big on the whole Santa fabrication and lying to kids about it, but I'm all about letting kids be kids for as long as possible. That means cool toys for an 8 year old.
My aunt is very eccentric and would always ask for a Christmas list from me, so, for a few years, I would send her a list, only to realize that she would give me something from the Dollar Store, wrapped in re-used wrapping paper from the previous Christmas. I once got cologne from the Dollar Store when I was 8 or 9.
And she wasn't poor; quite the opposite. She had a lovely house and a pretty high-income job. She was just a little messed up mentally.
So, one year, when I was 11 or 12, I thought: I'm only going to ask for one thing and see what happens. A Seattle Seahawks t-shirt. The package arrived, and the day came, and it was indeed a t-shirt! A used Buffalo Bills t-shirt with some stains on the logo.
It was the right size, though.
Aww! Sounds like she was trying, but her mental health thing stopped her:(
My deadbeat dad brought nine year old girl me motel shampoo and an adult mens shirt he got for free. Wish I was joking.
I participated in a voluntary office Christmas exchange in 2012 with a $30 limit. My gift was a CD-R of the givers favorite album. I was less than enthused, but nonetheless slid the disc into my car to check it out only to find out that it was blank. The person had written the band name/album title on the disc, but forgot to actually burn a copy.
Edit: it was supposed to be the album “Spit” by Kittie.
Office supplies. I was in the 2nd grade. It was the class gift exchange. Imagine being a kid, watching everyone else open dolls, and cars, and glitter pens. While you're sitting there with a calculator, tape dispenser, and stapler. Apparently, the girl who drew my name was in the hospital a lot and her parents just grabbed things from the gift shop? No idea why a teddy bear wasn't on the list. I ended up giving everything to my Nanna since she was a teacher.
Awww. I bet the parents were preoccupied and thought it was for the teacher. And I bet your Nanna appreciated it! (My nana was a teacher, too)
When I was 10 years old my grandparents gave me an unwrapped suitcase for Christmas. In the interests of convenience, they used that suitcase for the wrapped presents for my sisters.
50 pounds of russet potatoes.
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I cringe whenever I think of the Christmas when I was 14 or 15 and I got into an argument with my mom so when she asked me if I liked my gifts I told her the truth which was they were the wrong things...not exactly what I wanted and as an adult I think of what a horrible ungrateful spoiled little bi##h I was and I feel sick! My mom and I have a good relationship and nowadays I am her caregiver and there is nothing I wouldn't do for that woman so don't give up on your bratty kids, some of us grow up.
While that is unfortunate. It does go both ways ya.
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I handed in my notice where I worked at the time, but still went to the Christmas party which was my last day. I won the 'grand prize' which was a massive hamper of food (two guys had to deliver it big) and an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii. Everyone in the room was giving me the most awful stare. Awkward AF.
My family that had guardianship over me gave me a box filled with yard sale crap they couldn't first sell on eBay. They were very cruel and all I had as family, really.
My father's workplace gave a lavish Christmas picnic complete with Santa and gifts. Employees contributed a small amount from their wage to partly cover this. My sister was born too late in the year to be included the first year so there was only a gift for me, aged ten, an embroidery kit. My mother snatched it saying if there was only one gift it was for the baby. She kept it for years and gave it to her when she was old enough to use it.
I received a subscription to a magazine that I do not like, and have never read. I keep hinting that I "really don't have time to read much these days" but the subscription appears to be lifetime... and it's delivered weekly. I am thinking of calling customer service and having the address changed to the senior center down the road.
Had an aunt that always asked us for a list of books because she got us each a book for christmas. I loved reading. So, awesome, right? Except every year she ignored the list and got whatever books she wanted anyhoo. I read classic literature as a kid and teenager. I wanted a classic literature foundation (no idea why or how I got that into my head) So Tolstoy, Bronte, Dostoyevsky etc are on my list, and what I end up with is red fish blue fish, and danielle steel. Points for intention, but why she ever deviated from our lists are beyond me. It was such a waste of her money.
I had the same experience and found that salespeople convinced the buyer that the chosen titles were, "Far too advanced for a child of X age" and talked them into buying infantile books instead.
Load More Replies... I used to have a job where we did secret Santa for Christmas and the boss would give us gifts too. It was always fun working there most of the time so I looked forward to it! The boss gave me a fleece jacket, half zip, kinda baggy and bright dayglo / neon yellowish green. I thanked him so much but I hated that thing and couldn’t understand why he’d pick that color and shape. Fast forward to a few years later and that’s the style and I would just kill to have that thing. I couldn’t find one that cool if I tried! I gave it to charity so it’s not a total loss but I really wish I still had that.
there is a big age difference between myself and my two older siblings. because of this, by the time i was entering my teens, things financially were much more stable than they were when they were the same age (they are 7 yrs old and only 11 months apart.) so, i did get somethings that they didn't like an old car for my 16th birthday, concert tickets w/transportation included, things like that. and, because i wasn't a jerk to my parents they trusted me with more things. the crazy thing is that even when i was 50 yrs old they would still be jealous of things that were nothing but acts of love such as mom making a favorite of mine for dinner when i visited since i didn't live close by. i get the jealousy if your are a late teen/young adult but still hold it when you're close to 60? c'mon!
Where I live there's a Christmas tradition, companies give all their employees a nice basket full of champagne, traditional Christmas sweets made of honey and almonds (torró) and a full ham (un jamón!). I used to work for a company that gave us a kilogram of salt instead. They told us it was special as it didn't make balls with humidity but it was plain vulgar salt. The next year, it was one of those tiny things where you put the salt on salads when you're in a cheap bar. After this, we asked them please stop giving us gifts.
I was about 8 years old and the youngest. I begged for this doll that you could record your voice with. Pull the string and talk. Pull again and hear what you said. Pull again and record something new. Christmas morning came and my Mom made sure I unwrapped it first in front of my brothers and sister. With a big smile she tells me to pull the string. And it is the entire family singing....Nadine has a big mouth ( I was a talkative child) I can clearly remember many years later how humiliated and unloved I felt. I remember getting really quiet and looking down at the floor. My Mom laughed and said It was only a joke. Ruined my entire Christmas and I never touched the doll again. That has always stayed with me. Unfortunately I grew up with a Mother who thought humiliating and making fun of her children was funny.
We always used whatever box was on hand to wrap the presents in. My sister brings her boyfriend over and we hand him his gifts. Let it be known they were actually great gifts that we put thought and care into, made sure they were related to his hobbies and interests. So we are all opening gifts and he opens up a toaster, or a stationary set, whatever the random box that we used to put his real gifts in. So he is faking his way through being grateful for this random stuff because he thinks he really got a toaster and stationary and all of us were choking on laughter but too amused to tell him to open the box for the real gift until he got to the third one which was some sort of food product he couldn't quite fake his way through before we all busted out laughing and finally told him to open the box. The relief on that man's face when he realized he got the game controller he wanted instead of ramen.
My - eccentric - aunt gave me a library card inside a briefcase for Christmas when I was 16. The library card was for a library that required me to get two buses to which would take over an hour each way. And the briefcase was from a charity shop and was never really explained.
i cant say ive ever gotten a bad gift or something i didnt like but there was 2 times where the gift caused issues. once was wen my husbands grandmother gave me a gift card to red lobster. she didnt kno im allergic to shellfish and the smell of fish so i cant even walk into red lobster. the 2nd i loved the gift but me and my husband thought it was a scarf made by his aunt but it was a mermaid blanket. basically a blanket u can wear around ur legs. after we made that mistake every time someone opened a gift theyd yell "its a scarf" that was 3 years ago and they still joke about it
When I was little, we went to a church Christmas party where all the kids were supposed to bring and exchange gifts. We played a game to exchange them, so nobody knew what anybody was getting beforehand. All the other kids got toys, but I ended up with a Christmas ornament that was a little building made of very thin sheets of brass that was too fragile for me to handle. It was a nice ornament, but I cried like the little kid I was that I couldn't play or do anything with my gift with the other children. To this day I still feel bad about getting so upset over getting a gift, and I hope I didn't offend the giver too much, but on the other hand, maybe a fragile ornament wasn't the best choice to bring to a little kids' gift exchange.
A home made Kleenex box cover that was shaped like a little couch, it was complete with matching mini throw pillows, I was 30. I gave it to my 6 yr old niece to use for her Barbies
I used to get socks from my family. Or deodorant. When I was smaller, bananas or oranges. I was actually excited about the bananas and oranges because in pre 1989 Romania bananas and oranges were luxury items. I think all gifting on any occasion actually stopped when I was about 12. I don't resent them for it, in their defense they worked hard but they were quite poor. I stopped having any expectations when I was about 10.
I'd get strange presents from aunt's and uncles when I was a child. One year I got a doll and it smelled terrible. It was a really strong plastic like smell but it was unbearable. Never came across anything like it. When I was about 11 I got a Brad Pitt calendar from an aunt. I don't like Brad Pitt. My mum hung it up in the kitchen anyway. I drew all over his face when I was bored.
Not Christmas, but what my Dad got from his employer for his 30th year anniversary working there. Some stationery from the stationary cupboard. Literally the stationary anyone can just walk up and use in anycase.
When I was a.kod, I got a cool bike for Christmas. The following months I was so happy with it, went to a store to buy some school supplies and a comic book. Got back home only to find that my bike was gone. I thought it was stolen but then my mom told me she exchanged my bike for some street lamps. Lamps that were so damped they barely lit a room... I was so mad. From that point on I asked for money.
I'm 100% glad that I didn't get gifts most years. My family didn't have a ton of money and I was hard to shop for. Not for any specific reason I just didn't want much...
This year for Christmas, my mother gave me a flowering plant. I'm allergic to it. Many will say, "how could she know you would be allergic to it?" She knows I don't have pets or houseplants because of my intense allergies. She knows I am on two different antihistamines every day, and sometimes have to take steroids to calm my immune system down when that fails. She gave me the stupid plant because she is angry with me for getting into an argument with my sister.
Some of my relatives have given me a Barbie doll when I was about 8, and later makeup, for Christmas before. At least in the latter case I was also given some candy...
I have a gift that I treasure. It came from a family that I adopted for Christmas. They had 10 children, and I have none, so I was excited to shop for toys. I went to their very modest home to meet the mother and find out what they wanted. The house was immaculate, as were the children, and very polite. The children didn't know why I was there. I got hugs and cuddles and just enjoyed them. When I asked the mother what they needed, she told me that they needed a bed for their 10 yr. old daughter, but she said that would be too much. I smiled and told her that I had an entire French provincial bedroom suit if she would like it. She started crying, and so did I. (I bought a new mattress). I spoiled the kids and bought her some new clothes, and gave them a gift card to take everyone out for a meal. But my gifts were nothing compared to the gift I received from her husband He had a one man landscaping business, and had a few pens advertising it.He gave me one.30 yrs later, I still have it.
Last year we were married my ex asked what he should get me. I didn't have anything specific in mind so I said to just think about what I like to decide what to get. I ended up unwrapping shampoo. When he saw I was less than thrilled he was all "What? You like that shampoo!"
I was dating a guy (in our 30s) casually for a few months and he mentioned getting me a gift and made it sound like he was going to get me some (expensive-ish) work out clothes. So i bought him some nice polo shirts that he loved. He got me nothing! He committed a Christmas Fraud. A few months later he randomly bought me a bbq though (so we could bbq at my place, he had roommates) so in the end I won.
And that's why I established a "not taking not giving" rule for both Xmas and birthdays. I was sick and tired of spending money and effort to buy something that the receiver would actually like, in order to get some random cr*p obviously bought last minute just because they had to. Now I buy my own gifts, I spend WAY less money and I always get what I want (hehe).
It starts with Xmas. My mum pulled me aside after Xmas shopping, super proud that she’s found my cousin a pink, high heeled, plug in house phone. Bragging how it only cost her £10, and how much my cousin would like it. Guess what I opened for my 15th birthday present, 3 months later. I didnt even have a phone plug anywhere near my room. Give yourself another white Xmas mum??
I cringe whenever I think of the Christmas when I was 14 or 15 and I got into an argument with my mom so when she asked me if I liked my gifts I told her the truth which was they were the wrong things...not exactly what I wanted and as an adult I think of what a horrible ungrateful spoiled little bi##h I was and I feel sick! My mom and I have a good relationship and nowadays I am her caregiver and there is nothing I wouldn't do for that woman so don't give up on your bratty kids, some of us grow up.
While that is unfortunate. It does go both ways ya.
Load More Replies... I handed in my notice where I worked at the time, but still went to the Christmas party which was my last day. I won the 'grand prize' which was a massive hamper of food (two guys had to deliver it big) and an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii. Everyone in the room was giving me the most awful stare. Awkward AF.
My family that had guardianship over me gave me a box filled with yard sale crap they couldn't first sell on eBay. They were very cruel and all I had as family, really.
My father's workplace gave a lavish Christmas picnic complete with Santa and gifts. Employees contributed a small amount from their wage to partly cover this. My sister was born too late in the year to be included the first year so there was only a gift for me, aged ten, an embroidery kit. My mother snatched it saying if there was only one gift it was for the baby. She kept it for years and gave it to her when she was old enough to use it.
I received a subscription to a magazine that I do not like, and have never read. I keep hinting that I "really don't have time to read much these days" but the subscription appears to be lifetime... and it's delivered weekly. I am thinking of calling customer service and having the address changed to the senior center down the road.
Had an aunt that always asked us for a list of books because she got us each a book for christmas. I loved reading. So, awesome, right? Except every year she ignored the list and got whatever books she wanted anyhoo. I read classic literature as a kid and teenager. I wanted a classic literature foundation (no idea why or how I got that into my head) So Tolstoy, Bronte, Dostoyevsky etc are on my list, and what I end up with is red fish blue fish, and danielle steel. Points for intention, but why she ever deviated from our lists are beyond me. It was such a waste of her money.
I had the same experience and found that salespeople convinced the buyer that the chosen titles were, "Far too advanced for a child of X age" and talked them into buying infantile books instead.
Load More Replies... I used to have a job where we did secret Santa for Christmas and the boss would give us gifts too. It was always fun working there most of the time so I looked forward to it! The boss gave me a fleece jacket, half zip, kinda baggy and bright dayglo / neon yellowish green. I thanked him so much but I hated that thing and couldn’t understand why he’d pick that color and shape. Fast forward to a few years later and that’s the style and I would just kill to have that thing. I couldn’t find one that cool if I tried! I gave it to charity so it’s not a total loss but I really wish I still had that.
there is a big age difference between myself and my two older siblings. because of this, by the time i was entering my teens, things financially were much more stable than they were when they were the same age (they are 7 yrs old and only 11 months apart.) so, i did get somethings that they didn't like an old car for my 16th birthday, concert tickets w/transportation included, things like that. and, because i wasn't a jerk to my parents they trusted me with more things. the crazy thing is that even when i was 50 yrs old they would still be jealous of things that were nothing but acts of love such as mom making a favorite of mine for dinner when i visited since i didn't live close by. i get the jealousy if your are a late teen/young adult but still hold it when you're close to 60? c'mon!
Where I live there's a Christmas tradition, companies give all their employees a nice basket full of champagne, traditional Christmas sweets made of honey and almonds (torró) and a full ham (un jamón!). I used to work for a company that gave us a kilogram of salt instead. They told us it was special as it didn't make balls with humidity but it was plain vulgar salt. The next year, it was one of those tiny things where you put the salt on salads when you're in a cheap bar. After this, we asked them please stop giving us gifts.
I was about 8 years old and the youngest. I begged for this doll that you could record your voice with. Pull the string and talk. Pull again and hear what you said. Pull again and record something new. Christmas morning came and my Mom made sure I unwrapped it first in front of my brothers and sister. With a big smile she tells me to pull the string. And it is the entire family singing....Nadine has a big mouth ( I was a talkative child) I can clearly remember many years later how humiliated and unloved I felt. I remember getting really quiet and looking down at the floor. My Mom laughed and said It was only a joke. Ruined my entire Christmas and I never touched the doll again. That has always stayed with me. Unfortunately I grew up with a Mother who thought humiliating and making fun of her children was funny.
We always used whatever box was on hand to wrap the presents in. My sister brings her boyfriend over and we hand him his gifts. Let it be known they were actually great gifts that we put thought and care into, made sure they were related to his hobbies and interests. So we are all opening gifts and he opens up a toaster, or a stationary set, whatever the random box that we used to put his real gifts in. So he is faking his way through being grateful for this random stuff because he thinks he really got a toaster and stationary and all of us were choking on laughter but too amused to tell him to open the box for the real gift until he got to the third one which was some sort of food product he couldn't quite fake his way through before we all busted out laughing and finally told him to open the box. The relief on that man's face when he realized he got the game controller he wanted instead of ramen.
My - eccentric - aunt gave me a library card inside a briefcase for Christmas when I was 16. The library card was for a library that required me to get two buses to which would take over an hour each way. And the briefcase was from a charity shop and was never really explained.
i cant say ive ever gotten a bad gift or something i didnt like but there was 2 times where the gift caused issues. once was wen my husbands grandmother gave me a gift card to red lobster. she didnt kno im allergic to shellfish and the smell of fish so i cant even walk into red lobster. the 2nd i loved the gift but me and my husband thought it was a scarf made by his aunt but it was a mermaid blanket. basically a blanket u can wear around ur legs. after we made that mistake every time someone opened a gift theyd yell "its a scarf" that was 3 years ago and they still joke about it
When I was little, we went to a church Christmas party where all the kids were supposed to bring and exchange gifts. We played a game to exchange them, so nobody knew what anybody was getting beforehand. All the other kids got toys, but I ended up with a Christmas ornament that was a little building made of very thin sheets of brass that was too fragile for me to handle. It was a nice ornament, but I cried like the little kid I was that I couldn't play or do anything with my gift with the other children. To this day I still feel bad about getting so upset over getting a gift, and I hope I didn't offend the giver too much, but on the other hand, maybe a fragile ornament wasn't the best choice to bring to a little kids' gift exchange.
A home made Kleenex box cover that was shaped like a little couch, it was complete with matching mini throw pillows, I was 30. I gave it to my 6 yr old niece to use for her Barbies
I used to get socks from my family. Or deodorant. When I was smaller, bananas or oranges. I was actually excited about the bananas and oranges because in pre 1989 Romania bananas and oranges were luxury items. I think all gifting on any occasion actually stopped when I was about 12. I don't resent them for it, in their defense they worked hard but they were quite poor. I stopped having any expectations when I was about 10.
I'd get strange presents from aunt's and uncles when I was a child. One year I got a doll and it smelled terrible. It was a really strong plastic like smell but it was unbearable. Never came across anything like it. When I was about 11 I got a Brad Pitt calendar from an aunt. I don't like Brad Pitt. My mum hung it up in the kitchen anyway. I drew all over his face when I was bored.
Not Christmas, but what my Dad got from his employer for his 30th year anniversary working there. Some stationery from the stationary cupboard. Literally the stationary anyone can just walk up and use in anycase.
When I was a.kod, I got a cool bike for Christmas. The following months I was so happy with it, went to a store to buy some school supplies and a comic book. Got back home only to find that my bike was gone. I thought it was stolen but then my mom told me she exchanged my bike for some street lamps. Lamps that were so damped they barely lit a room... I was so mad. From that point on I asked for money.
I'm 100% glad that I didn't get gifts most years. My family didn't have a ton of money and I was hard to shop for. Not for any specific reason I just didn't want much...
This year for Christmas, my mother gave me a flowering plant. I'm allergic to it. Many will say, "how could she know you would be allergic to it?" She knows I don't have pets or houseplants because of my intense allergies. She knows I am on two different antihistamines every day, and sometimes have to take steroids to calm my immune system down when that fails. She gave me the stupid plant because she is angry with me for getting into an argument with my sister.
Some of my relatives have given me a Barbie doll when I was about 8, and later makeup, for Christmas before. At least in the latter case I was also given some candy...
I have a gift that I treasure. It came from a family that I adopted for Christmas. They had 10 children, and I have none, so I was excited to shop for toys. I went to their very modest home to meet the mother and find out what they wanted. The house was immaculate, as were the children, and very polite. The children didn't know why I was there. I got hugs and cuddles and just enjoyed them. When I asked the mother what they needed, she told me that they needed a bed for their 10 yr. old daughter, but she said that would be too much. I smiled and told her that I had an entire French provincial bedroom suit if she would like it. She started crying, and so did I. (I bought a new mattress). I spoiled the kids and bought her some new clothes, and gave them a gift card to take everyone out for a meal. But my gifts were nothing compared to the gift I received from her husband He had a one man landscaping business, and had a few pens advertising it.He gave me one.30 yrs later, I still have it.
Last year we were married my ex asked what he should get me. I didn't have anything specific in mind so I said to just think about what I like to decide what to get. I ended up unwrapping shampoo. When he saw I was less than thrilled he was all "What? You like that shampoo!"
I was dating a guy (in our 30s) casually for a few months and he mentioned getting me a gift and made it sound like he was going to get me some (expensive-ish) work out clothes. So i bought him some nice polo shirts that he loved. He got me nothing! He committed a Christmas Fraud. A few months later he randomly bought me a bbq though (so we could bbq at my place, he had roommates) so in the end I won.
And that's why I established a "not taking not giving" rule for both Xmas and birthdays. I was sick and tired of spending money and effort to buy something that the receiver would actually like, in order to get some random cr*p obviously bought last minute just because they had to. Now I buy my own gifts, I spend WAY less money and I always get what I want (hehe).
It starts with Xmas. My mum pulled me aside after Xmas shopping, super proud that she’s found my cousin a pink, high heeled, plug in house phone. Bragging how it only cost her £10, and how much my cousin would like it. Guess what I opened for my 15th birthday present, 3 months later. I didnt even have a phone plug anywhere near my room. Give yourself another white Xmas mum??
