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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!
More Info: Reddit
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#1
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.
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#2
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. :)
#3
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.
#4
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
#5
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
#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!"
#8
A Lamborghini calender. My brother got a guitar and amp. My two sisters got a bike each. F**k i hate Lamborghinis now
#9
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?”
#10
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.
#11
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.
#12
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.
#13
My cousin once gave me an autographed picture of himself. Which was funny as hell so I didn’t mind.
#14
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.
GoddessOdd 2 years ago
If you really want to help someone out, maybe getting better food would be most considerate.
#16
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.
#17
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
#18
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.)
#19
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.
#20
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.
Peppy Piplup 2 years ago (edited)
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.
#21
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.
#22
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.
#23
"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.
#24
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.
Lane Smith 2 years ago
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.
#25
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.
Softball05 2 years ago
Aww! Sounds like she was trying, but her mental health thing stopped her:(
#26
My deadbeat dad brought nine year old girl me motel shampoo and an adult mens shirt he got for free. Wish I was joking.
#27
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.
#28
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.
Softball05 2 years ago
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)
#29
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.
#30
50 pounds of russet potatoes.
What do you think ?
Ms.GB 2 years ago
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.
William Moore 1 year ago
While that is unfortunate. It does go both ways ya.
Load More Replies...
Treessimontrees 2 years ago
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.
Tiffany Marie 2 years ago (edited)
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.
Ms.GB 2 years ago
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.
William Moore 1 year ago
While that is unfortunate. It does go both ways ya.
Load More Replies... Treessimontrees 2 years ago
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.
Tiffany Marie 2 years ago (edited)
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.
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